After the Cave
by domino84
Summary: Set after Destiny, A CC fic focusing mainly on Maria and the M/M relationship. The FBI, skins, kidnappings, battles, and love`NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapters 1-5

After the Cave

by 

Domino

  
Part One.  
  
Maria sat by herself at a table at the end of the quad. She had a book opened in front of her as she quietly read. Isabel paused, hesitating before walking towards her. She remembered a time, less than 2 days ago, when she knew her friendship would be recognised and welcome, but now she wasn't sure and it was all for one reason. Isabel never thought she could hate one word so much. Destiny.  
  
For the first time since the six had become friends and Isabel had learnt what it felt like to have girlfriends - best friends who accepted her for what she was, Isabel found herself reluctant to approach Maria. Maria - the wacky girl who had in her own unique way had changed their lives with her bubbly manner, sometimes at odds with her practical deal-with-it address to problems, a common occurrence in their lives.  
  
Michael. He was what stood between them. She didn't mean to, didn't want to, didn't even think about him that way. Her brother. Her betrothed. Her family.  
  
And in front of her stood the only girl she had ever seen get in, past the stonewalls, past the highly developed defences that she had seen no one, not Max, not her, not anyone penetrate. Except a small blonde pixie who somehow managed to slip past or more accurately knock down those walls. The only person Michael would ask for help, would cry in front of, would leave to protect. Maria.  
  
All these thoughts whirled through Isabel's mind during the short walk towards her.  
"Hi," Isabel voice was soft, slightly wavering unsure of the reaction she would receive. Maria was at best unpredictable.   
  
Maria looked up and smiled at Isabel. It was hard Maria had discovered looking up at the statuesque blonde who had once seemingly so long ago terrified her and yet become a friend, a best friend even. Michael's sister, his family. His betrothed. She heard the quaver in the beautiful, always so confident, girl's voice and felt slightly better. She knew it was just as hard on Isabel. She realised this and being the generous forgiving person she was immediately blocked her anger and envy towards Isabel and forgave her for what cruel tricks Destiny had played on them.  
  
"Hello," Maria smiled. Isabel sat down and both of them fell into the routine that had happened so many times before secure in the knowledge that whatever happened ,this friendship would survive. They talked, they ate and they avoided somewhat the subject that hurt and scared them both. Destiny.  
  
Liz joined them 10 minutes later and the three girls laughed, gossiped and for the first time in 2 days, since the cave, since Michael left Maria, since Isabel and Liz left Alex and Max, since Destiny had been discovered, since Max had been captured and rescued, since Tess had invaded their lives, the three of them felt normal. Normal on this last day of school, they felt that at least one thing would be alright.  
  
Five people watched the three girls laughing, smiling, magical. Three smiled. One frowned, distaste highly apparent on her lovely face and one just stared. Michael. Max. Alex. Tess. And Kyle.   
  
Three of the six stood separately but looking at the girls gave them hope, relief and a sense that all would be fine, because after all if the girls were okay, they were okay.   
  
  
Part Two.  
  
Isabel stood waiting at the jeep for Max, pondering over lunch. She kept remembering the sense of relief she felt when Maria smiled at her. She hadn't fully realised how scared she had been until Maria had forgiven her without saying a word. She hadn't fully understood how important Maria's friendship had become to her. A year ago Isabel would have laughed loudly at the suggestion that she and Maria would be friends. Two people so different. Not possible. Then again she would have laughed if anyone suggested that Michael would fall head over heels with a pixie girl who was always laughing and talking, the complete opposite of him - a possibility even more unlikely than her and Maria being friends. Then again what did she know?  
  
Recently her life had been spiralling totally out of her control. Fate and Destiny were two very temperamental forces and Isabel knew that they all felt that they were sometimes mere Ping-Pong balls bounced between the two.  
Max and Liz were fated.  
Michael and Maria were fated.  
She and Alex who knew?  
Max and Tess destined.  
She and Michael destined  
  
Which was stronger? Fate or Destiny?   
  
One month ago she didn't even know that the two words differed in meaning. Today, however fine a line there was between fate and destiny, that line was something she (and the 5 people in the world she trusted) held on to tightly.  
  
Isabel wondered at all their reactions, the strength of love that they exhibited. Max had had a crush on Liz since 5th grade. Liz loved Max so much she gave him up for his destiny.  
Alex who loved her enough to give her space, to let her ago.   
And finally the love she believed was the strongest. Although some might question its strength, she knew better.   
Michael who loved Maria so much, he would leave her to protect her, to keep his faery princess safe. And Maria, whose love was so strong she broke every wall he had, forgave him all his mistakes, who had faith in him - more than she and Max ever had.  
  
In the beginning, Isabel had watched as her brothers fell, feared she had lost them. Then she realised the strength of their beloved's and eventually became friends with them understanding that the girls were not taking them away from her. During this process she had stood on the sidelines and watched relationships around her developing.  
  
At one time Isabel had believed Max and Liz with their soulmate kind of love was the hardiest - the kind that would survive everything. She was right (almost) except for one thing, one day Isabel discovered a love that was even stronger. It was a day that Isabel felt more helpless than she had ever had before at the time, the day Michael had left her and Max after using his powers on Hank. The mention or thought of THAT man brought waves of rage flowing through her.   
  
The whole night she and Max had worried and the next day when Michael had been arrested, on that day when she realised that Michael went to Maria, Isabel realised the feeling she felt was relief, relief that Michael had someone to go to when he need to go, somewhere, someone to run to when Michael ran. It was the day she realised for the first time how deep the love Michael had for Maria. How the passion they always exhibited and so readily noticeable went deeper, deeper than anyone realised. It was a love that went hand in hand with need.   
  
It was the day Isabel accepted fully for the first time Maria in Michael's life, Liz in Max's life. She accepted for the first time that she couldn't give Max and Michael everything that they needed. The process that had been started by the conversation with Liz on the 285 south, and continued by Alex's appearance in her life and saving Michael's life when he got sick was completed by Maria.  
  
Isabel had been sitting in the jeep for 15 minutes now. She glanced at her watch and wondered idly where Max and Michael was and then went back to her thoughts.  
  
She, Maria and Liz had spent the whole lunch hour together. It had been strange at first but soon they had slipped back into their routine. A slight frown crossed Isabel's face as she remembered what Maria had asked her to do. The three had been sitting together under the tree in more secluded section that they had moved to from the quad when Maria had pulled out a wallet. It was a man's wallet, belonging to the FBI Agent Nacedo had killed. It contained his identity, badge, and driver's licence. Isabel wondered where Maria had got it from- probably Michael, but then she reconsidered her original thought remembering their sort-of break-up.  
  
Maria asked Isabel to practise using her powers to change the identity and picture on the contents in the wallet. Isabel now sat and questioned her reason. Maria had laughed it off, dismissing her and Liz's queries. Isabel had at the time considered it practise, in line with the reasoning Maria had provided behind her request.  
  
The contents of the wallet now consisted of Maria's picture, or rather a variation of it where Maria's hair was longer and pulled back, her eyes were dark brown and slight glasses sat on her nose, a new name and address. Isabel was rather proud of the photo that now graced the identity and driver's licence with all its adjustments. It looked like Maria but not. She called the feeling of accomplishment she had felt with Liz and Maria's admiration over the fine tuning she had to use in her powers to get exactly what Maria requested.  
  
All this she dismissed as she recalled the goodbyes the girls had said. This morning she had been both reluctant and eager to get to school. Reluctant because after all that had happened - destiny, war, capture and torture, school had seemed very irrelevant but at the same time her eagerness to go had increased as it (school) represented a return to normality, or at least for one day before the long summer vacation.  
  
It was her desire to fix things with her friends that clinched the deal. So she went. She wasn't quite ready to see Alex just yet but she didn't regret coming to school. At least now, even if their plans to spend the summer together were void and she wouldn't see them for 2 months at least they said goodbye.   
  
Now, all else fell into the background unimportant as Isabel sat in the jeep waiting for her brothers - Michael was still her brother regardless of anything anybody said, even if it was her mother - while she remembered the goodbyes of her friends leaving for the summer.  
  
Part Three  
  
Maria drove slowly. Her thoughts on the short drive also revolved around the time spent together with her friends and Isabel's goodbye - the apology for all that had happened in her eyes.  
  
'Two months,' Maria mused. 'Maybe it would be good for them. Separate vacations as such.' It hurt too much to think about Michael so she didn't. Well she tried not to. Ultimately Maria was a doer. She didn't talk about doing stuff or spend ages analysing like Liz, she did them. And after two days of thinking constantly and crying Maria was ready to do something.   
  
Liz was wrapped up in her own problems and had informed Maria that she was going to leave Roswell for the summer. She was going to Florida straight after school. It hadn't taken much to convince her parents that she needed time away after they saw how upset she was over the last two days. It was Mrs Parker's idea for her to leave immediately for her cousins home on the coast. Isabel and Maria had already said their goodbyes.  
  
It was Liz leaving that got her thinking. When Michael avoided her completely and she refused to speak to her, Maria decided to stop waiting around. She put her half formed idea into action when she met Isabel for lunch. After stopping at the  
Crashdown and asking Mr Parker for time off (he was very sympathetic after all that was going on with Liz), she drove to her Mum's shop.  
  
Maria and her mom had spent a lot of time in the last few days together. Amy Deluca hated seeing her daughter in pain so at Maria's suggestion that Maria go to Florida with Liz, it didn't take much persuasion to assure her Amy that it was best for her baby girl. Not for the first time Maria was glad of the open relationship she had with her mother. After promising to call regularly, Maria hugged her Mom goodbye and left, swallowing the pangs of guilt she felt lying to those closest to her.  
  
'It was necessary,' she told herself and was almost convinced. She had one more stop to make - Alex. After bidding him farewell and assuring him she was fine and would be okay, Maria drove home.  
  
She packed all she thought she needed, took all her savings it had taken hours of work to earn and she originally planned to use to buy a new car and a picture of her and Michael and got in the car- the car that two days ago was shot through with bullets and had no windscreen. It was a hard memory one she would prefer to forget. Friends with special powers made that a little easier.   
  
Actually and ironically it was a non-friend that fixed the faithful Jetta. It hadn't occurred to her or any of the others at the time to collect the car. They were otherwise occupied and dealing with a multitude of feelings. Somehow through all that, Tess had the presence of mind to remember the Jetta. Maria didn't know what caused Tess to do a nice thing for her but for the first time since her arrival into their lives Maria had a good thought about her. The jetta now showed no evidence of the hell it had been through and even moved slightly better. Maria suspected that Tess had made a few improvements alien-style.   
  
Her mother had offered her the car for the summer insisting she didn't need it. Maria didn't question her and accepted the offer gratefully. As Maria headed down 285 south, she buried all her misgivings and fought her desire to turn back and run to Michael. 'This was the right thing to do. It was only two months after all. Two months and I'll would see everyone again,' she repeated over and over in her head. She knew it was something she had to do for all of them and it was the only way she could gain some control over the events that had taken over her and her friends lives. It would allow to get Michael back eventually.  
  
Maria did after all know Michael and understood him. He wouldn't let her convince him to come back. Protecting her, protecting his family was something that came naturally to him. He was nothing if not stubborn. Fortunately for all concerned Maria was equally stubborn and protective of those she loved. And she loved him. Keeping Michael, Max and Isabel safe was her priority and she would do whatever it took to be prepared when the need arose.  
  
The sign showing 285 South brought back memories - her first abduction. When she passed the motel that they had spent their first night together, had their first real conversation together Maria gave up trying not to phone Michael. She was strong enough to leave, strong enough to prepare but she knew him. As much as he needed her to be away right now he also needed to know that she didn't consider him a killer. And he needed to know that she loved him.  
  
The phone rang once before once again the answering machine came on. Maria knew he was screening his calls probably to avoid her. She smiled when she heard his voice - the short and abrupt message. 

  
"This is Michael. You know what to do." The phone beeped.

  
"Hi! Michael. Its Maria again." She paused and then realised that there was nothing else to say. She couldn't tell him her plans after all.   
  
Slowly she hung up and fought back a new set of tears that threatened to fall. She dropped the phone on to seat next to her and as it fell Maria strengthened her posture and straightened her spine. She reached out and put a cassette in. 'This time she was going to do what needed to be done,' the thought ran through her mind and she forced herself to sing along to the music now blaring through the speakers.   
  
Preparation was after all the key. To what she wasn't quite sure but she had two months to figure it out. She had everything she needed to do it - an identity, the clothes, new hair courtesy of Isabel and everyone thought she was in Florida. All she had to do now was talk her way in and she would be all set. All that research would come in handy.   
  
Maria smiled - a real smile for the first time in days. 'Everything would work out great,' she thought optimistically, ' and Michael loved her.'  
  
  
Part Four  
  
She drove all day. When she arrived, Maria phoned her Mom letting her know she was okay. Then she checked into a motel and collapsed.   
  
The next day, Maria changed carefully into the power suit she had bought especially for this. Black skirt, white shirt and a black jacket combined with black stockings and high black heels. She combed her hair completely back and tied it into a bun at the back before slipping in the brown contact lenses.  
  
Maria studied herself critically in the mirror. She opened her bag and placed a small pair of glasses on her nose. Then she smiled.  
"Step one complete," she said aloud. She looked the part. Now all that was left was the difficult part of the plan. She had to talk her way into the training facility. She pulled out a file from her bag containing a multitude of papers and began to skim the research she knew almost by heart already.  
  
Maria had thought her way through a number of options before deciding on this plan. She was pretty sure it was the best method for her to receive the kind of training she needed if she was to protect her friends and Michael in the future.  
  
Over the drive to FBI training grounds, she rehearsed her talk. Acting was something that came easy to Maria. She had been pretending things most of her life. Not even Liz knew when Maria was unhappy. The closest anyone ever got to finding her out was Michael.  
  
Maria swung into a parking lot and parked the Jetta. She glanced in the mirror one last time. Her make-up was discreet, designed to make her look older. She smoothed her hair back, grabbed her small black bag and taking deep breathes strolled into the building entrance, already in character.   
  
Her appearance gathered immediate attention. She ignored it all and walked straight to reception area and demanded to see Agent Simms. Agent Simms was, according to research she had gathered before leaving Roswell, in charge of the facility.  
  
"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.  
  
"No," she replied, "But he should be expecting my arrival. The paperwork was sent 3 day ago." Maria kept to her story and smiled at the man at reception. The smile worked and he immediately dialled the number to request an audience for her.   
  
Although no sign of paperwork was available, it didn't take much to get to see Agent Simms, especially with the identity she had Isabel adjust to reflect her new face. Maria sent a small prayer of thanks to Isabel for what she did. Agent Simms was slightly more difficult to convince even after Maria explained the circumstances she had decided would best be believable for allowing her to train at the facility.  
  
"You haven't any FBI Training? None, at all?" he enquired.  
  
"I was recruited directly from college into Agent Pierce's unit. My skills were required immediately. There wasn't time," she answered. Maria noted the curiosity she saw in Simms eyes at the mention of Pierce's name.  
  
"I was only required to work from home base and couldn't be spared for training," she continued.  
  
"Until now." Simms stated. "What changed?"  
  
"There's an assignment- a field work assignment which my boss has decided will require my particular skills to occur in 7 weeks. It was decided that the best course of action be that I receive basic training for 6 weeks as it aligns with your summer course."  
  
"The summer course runs for 3 months."  
  
"I am aware of that. I was told that it will not be required for me to take all the classes available, mostly the physical training ones. It was all stated in the paperwork."  
  
"Paperwork?"  
  
"It was sent three days ago by Agent Pierce before he went undercover."  
  
"We haven't received it yet. Must be some beauracratic slip up."   
  
"Probably," she agreed, glad he suggested the mix up. Maria saw he was almost convinced. She leaned forward and in her most sincere voice said,  
  
"Look, Agent Simms. I understand this is highly unusual circumstances. I will be going on this mission in 7 weeks with or without training. It was delayed so as to give me as much time to prepare since the FBI as far as possible would prefer not to send in agents unprepared. I would appreciate my receiving the necessary training." Maria smiled at him as she stood up.   
  
"Thank you for your time." She held out a slim hand and mentally held her breathe in anticipation. It didn't take long.  
  
"Please stay, Agent Sanders. I'm sure we can work out something to fix the mix up." He had no defence for her smile.  
  
'Isabel was right,' Maria thought to herself as she and Agent Simms proceeded to work out a schedule that would give her the proper training. 'Men are like putty in your hands. All you have to do is smile.'  
  
Thirty minutes later Maria was directed to t he dorm rooms and given a tour. Everything was all set and going according to plan. She would begin training tomorrow.  
  
End Part 4  
  
Part Five  
  
The next six weeks went pretty fast. Maria took classes in self defence, hand-to-hand combat, guns and a few psychology classes, an acting class and a computer hacking class. Her time was spent in the gym or on the shooting gallery practising target shooting.   
  
Every third day she would phone Amy Deluca and assure her she was fine. Maria also made weekly calls to Liz, Isabel and Alex and occasionally left messages on Michael's machine. A cover was kept since Liz was not speaking to anyone from home except Maria and her parents, with the occasional email to Alex.  
  
Maria learnt fast and practised constantly. All her instructors were impressed with her abilities and dedication. She was friendly but distant and kept all the other trainees apart from her. This led to her developing a reputation shrouded with mystery.  
  
In acting class (given to all prospective undercover agents) she excelled. She was convincing in whatever role they required her to play. She did pretty good in the computer class as well. All that time spent with Alex had paid of since she had obviously picked up some skills in the area.  
  
No paperwork had shown up yet but with her involvement and dedication Agent Simms let it slide. He too was busy and the excuse of Agent Pierce being undercover and unavailable to question held her in good stead. If there was any problems Maria was prepared to fake some paperwork however reluctant she was to risk this.  
  
Her morning began like all the other trainees with a 10 mile run followed by breakfast, showers and classes. They broke for lunch and had more classes in the afternoon. Her spare time in the evenings she spent practising her self defence and other new skills.  
  
At the end of 6 weeks Maria felt more confident and able. She could unarm anyone with a few moves, was a crackshot and developed some major hacking abilities (Alex would be proud of her). It was time to leave.  
  
She packed everything except her FBI tracksuits and T-shirts and gun. The gun and bullets that was issued to her by the FBI Armoury she place in her handbag. The clothes she put in a dustbin bag for disposal.  
  
After greeting everyone and thanking all her instructors and Simms, Maria got into her car and began the long journey back to New Mexico.  
  
As she crossed state lines, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had pulled it off, fooled the FBI training academy, misled all her friends and her parents and gotten away with it. Plus as an added bonus she could take on pretty much any human threat (she wasn't too sure about an alien threat but you couldn't have everything). She was almost ready to go home. Just one more thing to do.  
  
End Part five.  


To Parts 6-10

To Index

To Home


	2. Chapter 6

Part Six  
  
Once again Maria stopped at a motel for the night before continuing on her way, the next day.  
  
When she passed the outskirts of Roswell the next morning she felt a wave of homesickness. The feeling she always felt when Michael was around, the sense of his nearness she forced herself to ignore and continued driving.  
  
The Indian Reservation wasn't far from Roswell. She pulled up on the side and walked to the centre. Almost immediately she ran into Eddie and asked for Riverdog. Eddie, for once took her straight to him.  
  
Again her nervousness began to rise. This time however it was easier to defeat. The last 6 weeks had improved her confidence. Still Riverdog was someone special. He was the only other person who knew about the Czechoslovakians besides Sheriff Valenti that could help.  
  
"I've been expecting you," Riverdog stated.  
  
"You have?" Maria questioned, puzzled.  
  
"You have come to learn, Maria," he said, without answering her question.  
  
It was the first time in 6 weeks that Maria had been called by her name. She hadn't realised how much she missed it. Being Agent Jennifer Sandler was all fine and good but being Maria, the slightly wacky weird girl was who she was. She had missed it.  
  
Coming to Riverdog was something she felt she had to do. And in recent times Maria listened to her feelings. She trusted her instincts especially since they had been right in the past with Tess and Topolsky. Even in FBI Training, one of her instructors had said numerous times, "Trust your instincts. They will keep you alive." The other trainees had nicknamed him the 'Sprite' after the soda. But Maria recognised the truth of his teachings and paid close attention to all he taught.  
  
For a while now the words he (Riverdog) had said to her once in the cave echoed in her mind. Her path. The one she was destined to follow…THAT word again. She hated it.  
  
Riverdog was the only one who could help her, that she knew. How she knew that, she wasn't quite sure. Riverdog, as usual said little and what he did say was usually cryptic- as Maria was to discover in the following fortnight.  
  
He trained her, guided her and helped her develop her mental skills. Maria learnt to concentrate solely on one object, how to focus her mind on one person. The ability she'd always had of picking up vibes became more developed, stronger. Her mind became more focused.   
  
Breathing was an important part of the rituals Riverdog taught. Deep, even breathes. Vision quests and sweats. For 10 days Maria stayed at the Reservation among the Indians, lived, ate, slept amongst them and leant from Riverdog. The only thing she did separately was the 10 mile run she took every morning. It had taken her 2 weeks in the beginning of the summer to complete that run without collapsing in exhaustion. It had become a habit, a necessary one and a symbol of all that she had accomplished and she used it to keep fit.  
  
Maria discovered that Riverdog was a hard taskmaster and was determined that she would be prepared for whatever was out there. And so he taught her nature, healing, the desert with all its moods and changes and the sky covered in stars and mysteries. Riverdog never asked her any questions. Maria never volunteered any information. She assumed he knew or didn't want to know. Whatever the reason she didn't ask why he was helping or how he knew she was coming again.  
  
On the 11th day Riverdog took Maria out to the desert. They drove for a few hours in no particular direction.  
  
"It's time for your test," he stated when they were in the middle of nowhere far as Maria could make out.  
  
"Test?"   
  
"Yes," he said.  
  
She got out of the jeep following his gestures. Riverdog was a man of few words. Then she watched in alarm as he started back up.  
  
"You're leaving me here. Alone," her voice rose with each syllable.  
  
"It is the test. Three days," Riverdog replied calmly as he drove of, leaving a trail of dust behind him.  
  
"3 days," Maria shrieked to the back of the jeep. Already he was too far away. She fought the urge to scream and began to breathe.  
  
'Deep breathes.' She repeated to herself like a mantra.  
  
When she was calm, her training kicked in.  
  
'I can do this,' she thought. All the training, lessons by Riverdog. 'He wouldn't have left me here if I wasn't ready.'  
  
With that reassurance Maria took stock of the environment, of all she had on her, of the direction of home, the sun, of time. Her backpack lay on the sand besides her where she had thrown it when she jumped of the jeep. She knew at the very least she had 2 water bottles. Previous lessons in the desert, although much shorter had taught her to bring water.  
  
If she was lucky she had matches left over from lighting the candle the night before. Immediately she checked and struck it lucky. In addition she had a sweater which would be useful at night when it was notoriously cold in the desert.  
  
Maria carefully repacked the backpack, slung it over her shoulders and began to walk west, back to civilisation. According to her calculations as far into the desert as she was she was still closer to the reservation than to Roswell. She rationed her water sparingly and walked for hours. When it began to get dark she looked for a place to camp. In the end Maria settled for resting below an outcrop of rocks. She didn't sleep much that first night. It was cold and she shivered constantly despite the sweater she wore wrapped tightly around her. There was no sticks or anything that could be used to light a fire with.   
  
The next morning she started walking at first light. She was hungry, tired and grumpy. It was a good thing Riverdog wasn't around at this time because Maria would have probably done a few things to him that she would regret later.  
  
Desperation made her swallow her squeamishness and kill a small furry animal. She also managed to light a small fire (after half an hour and numerous attempts) which she used to cook 'lunch.'  
  
Her water was almost finished despite the way she sparingly doled it out. However, Maria's worries of the previous day were slightly diminished. Eating and lighting the fire had reassured her somewhat.  
  
At 4 o'clock after walking for hours Maria found some cactus plants. Her lessons with Riverdog held her in good stead and she managed to get some of the liquid within down her parched throat.  
  
The second night also passed better. A fire kept her warmer than the previous night and sleep came easier. Once again she began walking early. Maria ate the remainder of the cooked meat from the day before and drank what was left of her liquid supply.   
  
By afternoon she spotted the reservation, the first sign of civilisation in 3 days. Energy Maria wasn't aware she still possessed allowed her to run the rest of the way.  
'Thank God for those 10 mile runs,' was the fleeting thought that passed through Maria's mind just before she collapsed outside Riverdog's dwellings.  
  
He appeared almost immediately.   
"You did well, my child. You passed the test."  
Maria had never been so glad to hear someone else's voice in her life. Although it had only been 3 days, it was the most time she had ever spent completely alone. It was a relief to hear someone besides her own voice.  
She smiled up at Riverdog. Maria was just too tired to be mad at him anymore. She was exhausted, dirty, hungry, and thirsty. Other priorities were on her mind.  
  
After showering and drinking as much water as she could, Maria sat with Riverdog for the last time. Her time with him was over she realised with regret. The test was a completion of his teachings.  
  
"It's time to leave, Maria," Riverdog stated in his slow measured tones. Maria nodded in response, "Yes."  
"You will remember. You will practise," he said.  
Again she replied in the affirmitive.  
  
It was time. She was ready to return home. To face Roswell. To face her friends. To face Michael.  
  
That night the Indians celebrated with Maria. It was her congratulations for passing the test and a farewell combined. She would leave in the morning. 


	3. Chapter 7

Part Seven  
  
Alex was worried. She was two days late with her phone call and with this Maria was always on time. Like clockwork. Every Wednesday at 9pm.  
  
On Wednesday night he thought it unusual. On Thursday he worried slightly. He accidentally, deliberately ran into Mrs Deluca who hadn't seen in two months and subtlety enquired after her. She hadn't phoned Amy either however Mrs Deluca wasn't concerned. She assumed Maria was having fun and forgot.  
  
Maria never forgot.  
  
Still he felt slightly better for a while. After all if her own mother didn't think was unusual, he was just being paranoid.   
'I've been hanging around Michael too long,' Alex thought wryly to himself.  
  
By Thursday night- he decided 'Paranoia be damned.' Mrs Deluca , although a cool mum and a great person, was slightly flaky. Maria was more a mother to her than she was to Maria.  
  
It was too late to phone Florida so he spent the night debating with himself various possibilities and imagining reasons for the lack of a call. Stuck in the desert didn't occur to him.  
  
On Friday morning he dialled Florida. Liz answered,   
"Alex, its great to hear from you."  
  
"Liz, you okay?"  
  
"I'm better. How is everyone?"  
  
"They're okay," normally Alex would chat to Liz but after the night he had just had, "Can I speak to Maria?" He got straight to the point.  
  
"Alex," he could hear puzzlement in her voice. "You realise I am in Florida, right."  
"Of course you are. You and Maria."  
  
"Alex, are you alright. Why would Maria be her. She's in Roswell with you. I spoke to her last week."  
  
"What do you mean she is in Roswell?" Alex's voice rose in his surprise and panic.  
  
"Alex, what's going on?" Liz was starting to get worried.  
  
"Oh my God, she lied." He was almost talking to himself.  
  
"Alex!" He didn't answer.  
  
"Alex!" She yelled louder. He jumped on the other end.  
  
"Liz, don't yell"  
  
"You're ignoring me. Tell me what the hell is going on. Now!"  
  
"Maria – she's missing."  
  
"What do you mean she is missing. She's in Roswell with you. She's been there all summer." Liz was panicking as well now.  
  
"No, she hasn't. She told us she was in Florida with you. And since you weren't talking to anyone, no one knew any better."  
  
"Are you saying that Maria disappeared for two months and no one knew?"  
  
"She phoned every week. You said yourself you spoke to her. This is bad – really bad.   
What are we going to do?"  
  
"Okay, let's not panic," Liz sounded more like Liz now. Analysing and thinking. "Why do you think something has happened to her. She seems fine when we speak to her."  
  
"That's why I am worried," Alex answered.  
  
"Because she is fine?" Liz questioned.  
  
"Liz, no. because she didn't phone. Every week she phones. At the same time. And she didn't. You know Maria…"  
  
"Never forgets."  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"This is bad, Alex."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'm coming home." Alex didn't try to stop her. He was now more scared than worried. Two months she'd been lying to them. The realisation was just settling in.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Don't do anything till I get there. Don't call them." He didn't ask who them was.  
  
"We might need them."  
  
"Wait till I get there, okay"  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Okay, I'll phone you in 5 minutes with my flight and time."  
  
"I'll be at the airport." They both hung up, a hundred thoughts running through their minds, fear for their best friend prominent.  
  
'She lied to us,' Alex thought again in shock. Just then the doorbell rang. Almost automatically Alex headed towards the door and opened it.  
  
"Kyle," Alex said in surprise.  
  
"Hey man how's it going?" He walked past Alex into the house. Alex followed him almost blindly.  
  
"I just got back from basketball camp. I stopped by the Crashdown. Guess Liz and Ria aren't back from Florida yet," Kyle continued.  
  
At the mention of Maria's name Alex became alert again.  
  
"You okay, Alex?" Kyle asked noting Alex's distraction.  
  
"No," he answered. He didn't question Kyle's appearance. Things had changed for all of them in the last week of school with Pierce and then Kyle getting shot. Sharing a secret made them all closer. Alex didn't have to decide if he was going to tell Kyle what was going on or not. He just did. Alex explained everything to him.  
  
In between explanations Liz called with details of her flight. Both Kyle and Alex left immediately for the airport.  
  
Three hours later, three worried friends driving home from the airport were debating whether or not to call 'them'.  
  
"We need their help," Alex said.  
  
"How can they help. We don't know anything. Why would they know?" Kyle questioned.  
  
"Isabel can dreamwalk," Alex answered. Liz had been silently observing the conversation until now.  
  
"Michael needs to know." She finally stated. No one said anything. They all knew that whatever happened between Michael and Maria, Michael would die for her. For something never stated aloud and by two people who in their own way were strangely private about their feelings, it was a well known fact.  
  
"I'll call Max," Alex finally said.  
  
Liz smiled wryly. Going to Florida didn't appear to have helped much with the staying away from Max.  
  
Alex phoned Max on the cell and told him to get everyone and meet at Michael's apartment. Max didn't ask questions, hearing the tone of Alex's voice which reflected all his worry and fear for Maria.  
  
Kyle who was driving pulled up in front of Michael's place and the three of them got out slowly. Kyle had been there only once after he had been shot. For the others it brought back memories of happier times.  
  
Everyone was there already when Liz, Alex and Kyle arrived. For the first few minutes no one said anything , just looking at each other. Max looked shocked to see Liz and the two of them did their usual stare-into-each-other's-eyes thing.  
  
"Where's Maria?" Michael's voice broke the silence. Her absence was noticeable.  
  
That snapped everyone out of it. Liz and Alex exchanged a look  
  
"We don't know," Kyle answered.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know?" Isabel asked quickly before Michael did or said anything. He and Kyle were not the best of friends.   
  
"She's supposed to be in Florida with you," Michael stated looking at Liz.  
  
"Liz thought she was in Roswell," Alex said when it didn't appear that Liz was going to answer. She was still recovering from seeing Max again.  
  
"Damn. I knew it," Michael said and got up, grabbing his jacket. Max stopped him at the door.  
  
"Knew what, Michael? And where are you going?"  
  
"Knew she was nearby," he answered. "I'm going to find her," he continued.  
  
"Wait. Stop. Nearby? Someone explain what's going on and start from the beginning?" Tess said.  
  
Everyone else was still taking in Michael's statement.  
  
"Alex?" Tess asked again. And so Alex explained for the third time all that had happened. They all looked shocked.  
  
"She lied to you, to us?" Isabel asked finally. "That can't be right. Maria wouldn't lie."  
  
"Two months," Max said, "two months. She could be anywhere."  
  
"Not anywhere," Michael spoke up.  
  
"You'd better explain, Michael," Alex said.  
  
"Yes, explain, please," Liz added.  
  
They all looked at him expectantly. He looked uncomfortable.  
  
"I think she is close. Near Roswell – well she has been for the last 10 days."  
  
"You can feel her, Michael?" Max asked. "You never said anything."  
  
"And why didn't you say anything. Ten days and you didn't tell us," Kyle added.  
  
"Yeah, I can sense when she is near. I think she can sense me too," Michael answered Max's question first. Then he explained, "It's not an exact science, you know. I felt her getting closer about two weeks ago. And I didn't say anything because I convinced myself…" he paused. Everyone waited expectantly.  
  
"Michael!" Isabel went impatiently when he didn't appear to be finishing his sentence.  
A blank look came upon his face before Michael softly answered, "I missed her so I thought I was feeling her because I wanted her to come home, and she was supposed to be in Florida." No one knew what to say. Michael rarely admitted his feelings, and usually went out of his way to deny that they even existed or he ignored them by focusing all out and obsessing about his past, his origins.  
  
"I'll dreamwalk," Isabel suggested. Alex smiled at her in relief. She smiled back. It felt good even in these circumstances to be together again. Things were simpler when everyone was together.  
  
"There's one more thing," Michael said again.  
  
"Michael?" Isabel prompted again when he stopped speaking.  
  
"She's okay now but the last three days… she was scared, I think."  
  
"You think?" Kyle asked.  
  
"I told you it was not an exact science."  
  
"If she was scared why didn't you…?" Alex trailed of, not sure what he was asking.   
  
"I don't know. It was strange, you know. She was scared but she wasn't asking for help." Michael looked confused.  
  
"You said she is okay now?" Liz asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
End part 7 


	4. Chapter 8

Part eight.  
  
Seven teens sat in a tiny apartment. The absence of one weighed heavily on them. It was the one thing that had the power to bring them all back together – after something even more powerful had torn them apart – destiny.   
  
"I'll need a picture of Maria. Do you have one?" Isabel asked all of them.  
  
"We can get one," Alex said standing up.  
  
"Will a painting do?" Michael's words stopped him in his tracks.  
  
Isabel looked slightly surprised, "Yes."  
  
Michael stood up and went into the other room. He came out holding a big painting. The others waited for him to turn it around. None of them, except for Max and Isabel knew that he could paint , but even they didn't know that he still did it.  
  
Michael handed the painting to Isabel. She gasped, and everyone crowded around her to see. The painting showed a border of darkness and overcast clouds with this bright ray of sunshine in the middle spreading towards the edges. In the centre, was a girl with a pixie haircut sitting on a swing, her eyes huge, her slight smile beautiful. The way Michael saw her. His ray of sunshine. His happiness. His Maria. It was beautiful.  
  
Again no one knew quite what to say. There was no words to describe the painting. It was like seeing through someone's soul – extremely private, seeing exactly how they felt. They felt like voyeurs.  
  
Liz went up to Michael and wrapped her arms around him. It was a thank you for loving Maria. It was a thank you for showing them Maria in his eyes. He thought it was because she missed Maria. He patted her back awkwardly.  
  
"It's amazing, Michael," Isabel said eventually.  
  
"Thank you," Michael was too worried at this stage to care what they thought of the painting. Another time perhaps. But then again… after the first time he showed them a painting of his, their reaction had not exactly inclined him to make any further disclosures.  
  
It was time to begin the dreamwalk. Although it was day time, Isabel was confident that she could dreamwalk Maria – after all she had done it before and she had been practising all summer to remain undetected. Isabel stared at the painting intently while sitting on the couch, one hand in Alex's hand. The picture wavered slightly and then she fell back, her eyes closed. The rest watched anxiously.  
  
  
  
Maria got into her car and waved to Riverdog, Eddie and the rest of the Indians who had come to see her of. She turned the car towards Roswell and turned the music up singing along as she drove. She was going home.  
  
Why, Maria wasn't quite sure – maybe it was all the exercises, the meditation, the vision quests she went on with Riverdog – whatever the reason, she felt Isabel almost immediately.  
  
"Hello Isabel."  
  
Isabel sat in the passenger seat of the car. She looked surprised when Maria greeted her.  
  
"You felt me – how?"  
  
Maria ignored the question.  
  
"Is something wrong. Did something happen to Michael?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"No. Everyone is fine, except for you. Do you have any idea how worried we are about you?"  
  
"You know," Maria stated flatly.  
  
"Know what – that you aren't in Florida. Yeah we know that. Are you okay? Where are you?" Isabel decided to get straight to the point. This conversation was strange enough as it was. Isabel liked to be in control and this dreamwalk had slipped from her control right at the start when Maria has somehow sensed her.  
  
"I'm fine," Maria answered like it was obvious. In a way it was. After all Isabel was sitting next to her.  
  
"Maria," Isabel said, impatience lacing her voice.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It's been two months, Maria. You lied to us."  
  
"I needed to leave. I did phone."  
  
"Where have you been. Where are you now?"  
  
"I'm near Roswell," Maria answered after a pause.  
  
'Michael was right," Isabel thought. It was obvious Maria wasn't going to tell her anything. She made the decision to go further into Maria's mind. It was the wrong decision. It didn't work. Maria felt Isabel pushing into her mind immediately and blocked her.  
  
"Not going to happen, Izzy," Maria said.  
  
Isabel winced. Maria sounded mad at the invasion into her mind, and being blocked wasn't a fun experience. It had never happened before except with Michael and Tess who was way more advanced with her powers than they were.  
  
"I have to concentrate on driving," Maria said and that was the last thing Isabel heard Maria say before she woke up, rather in shock.   
  
"I can't believe it," Isabel said surprise, shock and anger was evident in her voice.  
"She threw me out. Actually threw me out," she continued, jumping of the couch.  
  
The teens surrounding her watched as Isabel began pacing.  
  
"Isabel," Alex called. She ignored them.  
  
"Isabel," Michael yelled louder, "Where is she? Is she okay?"  
  
Isabel stopped and looked at the people watching her anxiously.  
  
"You were right. She is near Roswell. At least that's what she said – before she threw me out." Her voice rose with indignation.  
  
"Threw you out?" Tess asked, "How – she's only human?"  
  
"I don't know but she felt me when I arrived and when I tried to go further into her conscious to see where she was, she blocked me. Then she threw me out." Several smiles were suppressed at the sheer shock in Isabel's voice every time she repeated the last phrase.   
  
"Start from the beginning," Alex said reasonably when he saw Isabel begin to pace again. And so Isabel started the tale from the beginning.   
  
When she was finished, "She threw you out," Tess said in shock. Everyone groaned.  
  
"Please don't get her started again," Max said. They all laughed and then quieted when they remembered the circumstances.  
  
"She's okay, right?" Liz said, half statement, half question. No one answered.  
  
"She is," Isabel finally said. "She said she just needed to go. I'm sure she'll be home soon." Isabel hugged Liz.  
  
"I'm not waiting," Michael said decisively. "I'm going to get her now." He stood up.  
  
"Michael"  
  
"No, Maxwell. We tried Isabel's way. Even if she is fine, I want her home. I'm going to get her."  
  
"I'm coming with you," Kyle said. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.  
  
"Me too," Alex said.  
  
"We'll all go," Max said. Michael looked shocked.  
  
"What? She's one of my best friends. I want her home as much as you do," Max said defensively.  
  
"Didn't say anything, Maxwell," Michael smirked.  
  
They all waked out. Michael jumped into the front seat of the jeep. Max handed him the keys. Liz , Alex and Isabel got into the back and Max took the passenger seat. Kyle and Tess took Kyle's car and followed the jeep as it pulled on to the freeway.  
  
"Where to?" Alex asked after 15 minutes.  
  
"I don't know," Michael replied. No one said anything after that.  
  
They drove for about 20 minutes more well into the desert. Near a few rock formations Michael pulled the jeep up and everyone piled out. Kyle and Tess joined them a minute later and there they all stood, waiting.  
  
End Part Eight. 


	5. Chapter 9

Part Nine   
  
Maria had calmed down since Isabel attempted to enter her subconscious. She wasn't even mad at Isabel after thinking about it since she knew that Isabel was just worried about her. Still she wasn't quite looking forward to going home and facing her worried and not-so-happy-with-her friends.  
  
It was a delay tactic that made her stop. 'Avoidance. Classical. She did learn something from Michael after all,' she thought wryly as she parked the car.   
  
Maria got out and stared at the sand stretching out in front of her. She needed to think – to prepare herself for home, for everyone, for Michael and so she began to walk.  
  
Maria knew where she was going although some might doubt it. It was hard to distinguish features in the desert. Maria was headed to a group of rocks – her thinking place. What made this rock formation special, she wasn't quite sure but it reminded her of Michael, even though he had never been there. Once she had planned to take him but now… who knew.  
  
As Maria walked, she began to move faster. Something was drawing her there. An attraction. Something she missed. She didn't about what or who it was. Deep inside of her knew. Maria just ran.  
  
  
Michael began walking. The others looked at each other in question and then almost as one, made a decision and followed. Again no one asked where they were going.  
  
Michael didn't know where he was going. If one of his friends had asked he wouldn't be able to tell them. He was feeling Maria and following that feeling. It was almost like the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz, Maria had forced him to watch once – the long winding road that led to Maria. Maria was the Emerald City. He almost laughed at his thoughts. They were certainly weird. He knew that she had lingering effects on him.   
  
The others suddenly noticed Michael's increased pace and they rushed to keep up. He was almost running now. Michael could feel her getting closer. Suddenly he stopped. Isabel and Kyle who were directly behind him almost knocked him down in their sudden brake.   
  
In front of them was a group of rocks and in the centre was Maria. 


	6. Chapter 10

Part Ten  
  
Everyone stared. They hadn't been quite sure that Michael would find her. It was ironic that 6 people were at the same time making the same silent apology to him. They all watched as he began walking towards their missing friend.  
  
Again the others were reduced to role of observers and stood silently and stared as Maria's eyes widened when she saw him, as she began slowly walking towards Michael, as they met in the middle.  
  
Michael and Maria stood together, as close as two people could without touching. They didn't say anything. Everyone stood nearby silent, no one wanting to break the moment or interrupt.  
  
Maria reached out with one hand and touched his cheek. It felt good to touch him again. He looked different. Older. His hair was different.  
  
It was good to feel her hands on him again. He lifted his hand and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. Her hair was longer. She looked different. Older. He stared into her eyes. They had always been his favourite part of her. Emerald pools. Now they were sheltered. He felt the loss. She was the same but changed. Not so easy to read. Then again, in some ways she had always been difficult to figure out. A mass of contradictions.  
  
He leaned in and felt her lean forward. Their eyes closed simultaneously and the two met again in the middle. It was a tender kiss. A I-missed-you kiss. One containing all the passion they were known for yet different at the same time. The sparks came immediately. Familiar sparks. Sparks they had both missed. Still, they didn't touch except for their lips.  
  
Slowly they pulled away. The others watched in awe. They had never seen Michael and Maria like this. It was scary. The world was turning. Tess felt something shift inside her. All the time, all summer she had spent with Max, Michael and Isabel she had convinced herself that Destiny would eventually come about, even though Max had pined for Liz, Isabel had missed Alex and Michael…  
  
Nothing had convinced her. Nothing could convince her, she had thought, that they were not meant to be. She and Max. Isabel and Michael. Even watching Max and Liz together with their soulmate looks and Isabel and Alex being friends. Until now. This moment, so unlike Michael and Maria. Tess accepted that the Destiny she believed her entire existence was never going to happen. She let it go. She let Max go and in her mind freed Michael and Isabel.  
  
She never realised how their names fit. Michael and Maria. Even she had always linked them. And doing so Tess freed herself. She glanced away from the enthralling sight in front of her and met Kyle's eyes. Tess smiled and Kyle returned her smile.  
  
Max turned to Liz as always and she to him. Liz accepted him back. Max felt her welcome. His and Liz's relationship had always revolved around Michael and Maria's and vice versa. It began when theirs began and ended when theirs ended and now once again would continue in their wake.  
  
Isabel smiled in relief and Alex smiled because Isabel smiled. And because Maria was fine. Their hands reached out and held. 


	7. Chapter 11

Part Eleven  
  
The teens were back in holding pattern – waiting for what would happen next. Under the circumstances no one should have been surprised at what followed. This was Michael and Maria after all. Two more volatile and unpredictable people were not likely to exist.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking. Two months, Maria. You scared the hell out of everyone. Liz came home because of you," Michael began yelling.  
  
The others jumped in surprise when he began. Maria didn't. she knew him best after all. She just yelled back.  
  
It was a few minutes before there was a second of silence – a breather. Alex took full advantage and jumped right in.  
  
"One second, Michael," Alex interrupted, "As much as I want to yell at Maria right now, can I at least hug her hello? You got to greet her." Alex smiled at Michael's expression. He had added the last sentence just for that. Maria was the only button of Michael's that he knew how to push, and it sure was fun.   
  
"Alex!" Maria cried. He wondered if she had even seen them standing there till now. Alex wrapped his arms around her tightly as she flew into them and breathed a soft prayer she was alright.  
  
Liz came running up and hugged her next and before Liz and Maria could get into girl-talk catch up, Max, Isabel and Kyle took their turns. Michael stood slightly to the side of this, separate but not far. He was reluctant to let her out of touching distance. An indulgent expression touched his face, visible for only a second as he watched her greet her friends. He observed silently as Liz and Isabel surrounded Maria and how Tess stood slightly back, afraid of her welcome. Michael smiled. When he saw Maria drag Tess into the group, accepting and forgiving her. His Maria.  
  
Michael notice the other guys bore the same smile he wore. Max. Alex. And Kyle.  
'We're all complete saps. We all turned into Max," the wry thought passed through his mind. But still he stood and watched. The grateful look Tess wore at Maria's welcome, the reluctant one Liz wore at first which changed at Maria's encouraging one and Isabel's happy one that all her friends were together. All of this because of Maria. She was back and the group was complete now.  
  
Of course they had a few things still to deal with. They had to yell at Maria some more, find out where she was the last two months, how she sensed Isabel, how….Okay lots of questions for Maria. Michael knew that wasn't going to be easy. While Maria was the most honest person he knew, she was also the most stubborn person he knew. And because of this Michael was aware that Maria wasn't going to tell them anything without a fight, not if she didn't want them to know. And since she had kept it from them for so long she would probably continue to do so. He could wait. She was back and that was all that mattered.  
  
End Part eleven. 


	8. Chapter 12

Part Twelve  
  
Days passed. The vacation ended and everyone started school again. There was no sign of danger anywhere but they all sustained a state of readiness. Maria maintained her silence on the missing two months, despite several attempts by the 7 teens, who were her friends, to find out.  
  
These attempts ranged from threats to persuasion, guilt to bribery. Numerous dreamwalks were also tried. And failed. Maria didn't budge. Her evasions seemed to get stronger as time passed and she either avoided the constant questions completely or said that she would tell them when it was time. Her mother remained in the dark.  
  
Once again, they were the talk of Roswell High. The strange combination of the 8 of them, the unusual pairing of the couples, the addition of Kyle and Tess – all of these made them interesting fodder for gossip. In some ways it was merely continuation of the talk that arose the previous year when a known loner rebel with his quiet serious best friend and the most beautiful girl in the school, a highly unusual trio joined an equally unusual trio consisting of a pretty brainy scientist, a cute wacky pixie and a geek.   
  
The 6 of them had certainly caused some major uproars during that year. Max and Liz, 2 notable quiet serious students caught making out because they were too loud. Maria and Michael's entire relationship. The weirdness that caused the 'Elle McPhearson' of the school to date Alex, a self pronounced geek. The antagonism between the Max and the no.1 jock in school now mysteriously absent. Hell. That was a lot for one school to take even without the non-human status of some of the group's members.  
  
This year the stakes had even risen further with Alex and Maria's band – the Whits, their popularity stakes had risen. Isabel had always been popular and Michael with his rebel with a cause look and attitude was the cause of many a crush. Max's bedroom eyes, Tess's perkiness, Kyle's jock status and Liz continued dreamgirl reputation didn't help. The things that attracted 8 such different people together and held fast in obvious firm friendships fascinated people whether it their sometimes clueless parents or fellow students.  
  
For the 8 however, things had changed even if they were the only one's that knew it. Their friendships, despite the knocks that Destiny thrown at them still remained intact. A secret bound them all them together and that was bigger than all of them together. Their relationships, however were not as lucky.  
  
It was ironic that Tess who had been the catalyst for the subsequent break-ups, had begun a somewhat tentative friendship with of all people – Kyle. And even more strange, Isabel and Alex whose relationship had been the newest had somehow survived. For the others, love the very thing that should have kept them together kept them apart, caused Liz to walk away and Michael to say goodbye.  
  
Isabel herself found it weird that Michael was still keeping away from Maria. After the kiss that they had all witnessed she thought it was strange that they hadn't gotten back together yet. The same went for Max and Liz. It had been two months of separation and those months hadn't been easy on her brothers. Max was more withdrawn than ever, a combination of Liz and the torture that he suffered at the hands of Pierce and Michael's walls had grown taller and wider than ever before. He practised his powers constantly with Tess and had improved his focus and energy tenfold. Even if she and Tess were both almost convinced that Maria was the focus he used to improve. Maria had always brought out the best in him and even now, apart she was still his reason.  
  
Isabel figured it was limited time before things got back to normal. Normal, being a relative term for them. Actually that was wrong – she just hoped things would get better. It was just a matter of who stronger and more stubborn. Michael or Maria. Liz or Max. One thing she was sure of, was that Max was persistent as hell and no one could out argue Maria. Just a matter of time. Just a matter of time.  
  
End part 12 


	9. Chapter 13

Part Thirteen  
  
There were 7 teens were sitting in Michael's apartment. It was their weekly seen-anything-suspicious slash lets-search-for-bugs meeting. They were waiting for Maria to show up. She was late.   
  
Isabel and Max were having a slight sibling disagreement in one corner. Liz was doing her homework while Michael, Kyle and Alex played on an old playstation Michael had picked up and Alex helped him fix. Tess wasn't allowed to play, because she trashed them every time and so she watched and yelled instructions. At the moment Kyle was winning but that could be because Michael was otherwise distracted wondering where his almost/kinda/maybe ex-girlfriend was.  
  
The door opened and Maria walked in, her face totally hidden by a huge stack of books she was carrying. Max immediately ran to help her. He was Max.   
  
"You and Liz switch brains or something?" Kyle sounded amused.  
  
"Hey!" It came from both Liz and Maria.  
  
Maria took a deep breathe and let all the books fall to the couch in a jumbled disarray. Michael, Kyle, Alex and Tess made a quick dive to avoid being hit by a barrage of books. Michael picked up one of them, "Attack of the Bodysnatchers," he read aloud. "Anything you wanted to tell us, Maria?" he smirked. The others all laughed. Maria glared at him.  
  
"For your information, I borrowed all the sci-fi books in the library."  
  
Tess ran a hand through her hair, "I know this a stupid question but, why exactly would you do that?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"No," 7 people replied in unison.  
  
"Oh," Maria looked slightly downcast for a second, then she brightened up. "For ideas. You know. We all take a couple, read them and get ideas."  
  
"Ideas?" Kyle was being particularly dense today.  
  
"What a cool plan." Liz answered him this time, "We can make notes and everything." Liz was still the only one looking enthusiastic.  
  
Maria ignored them all and began to hand two books to everyone there. She gave Michael the thickest ones. Kyle laughed when he saw this. And just to make sure everyone there got why he was laughing he explained it. This caused Tess to exchange a few see-what-I-have-to-put-up-with looks with the other girls and boys to exchange confused ones at the girls expressions. In return for the laugh, Maria handed him a thick book. That shut him up.   
  
Michael didn't say anything. He didn't see anything wrong with Maria giving him the largest books. She was one of the few people that knew he liked to read. During their better times, they often had quiet moments with him reading or sketching and Maria doing homework or writing busily away in her notebook, always singing softly. He missed her voice.  
  
He never asked to see what she wrote and she never asked to see what he drew although it was usually her face that filled his sketchbooks. They both knew that they didn't have secrets from each other and if either one wanted to see they could. This knowledge allowed them to be comfortable with the status quo they had shared at the time.  
  
Everyone had received their books, amid protestations from a number of sources, all overruled. They weren't going to win and they all knew it. No one won anything against Maria.   
  
The basic plan was illustrated by Maria, and expanded on by Liz. They were all to read the books and see if they could come up with any ideas to find any bad aliens, already codenamed Russians by Maria, not that she had anything against Russians as she explained but Czechoslovakians was already taken. This, of course, was in between various other detours Maria took during one of her plans. Everyone there had there Maria filters working at maximum capacity although Tess was a little new to the friendship and had a harder time following the plan. Liz talking behind Maria did help though.   
  
When she was done Maria gave them all a time limit… that was mainly for Kyle and Alex's benefit. Max never argued with Maria and Isabel and Tess both thought it was a surprisingly good idea, and Michael would have done anything for a plan of action, something Max would do anything to try and avoid at the moment. Still for the first time that day, after having quite a few of these meetings they all had something to do. 


	10. Chapter 14

Part Fourteen  
  
The idea came from, ironically, the book Kyle had been given as punishment. Once he accepted the plan, he did (to his credit) go wholeheartedly into a reading phase. Tess, on the other hand, wasn't too happy with this new development. He ignored her for two days, busy reading and then much to her disgust spent the day after searching the library for other books by the same author.   
  
She blamed this entire debacle on Maria and so in true get even style spent this time away from Kyle with Maria, complaining and making sure Maria knew exactly how unhappy she was with this situation. That plan kind of backfired on her as all it succeeded in doing was to bring Maria and Tess closer together – a development decided by all the guys in the group as extremely bad. Who knew what the two of them together could come up with? Definitely not good.  
  
It was lunch at school and they 8 teens sat in a secluded section of the courtyard discussing their findings. The idea was to scan lightly the minds of all the surrounding people. A sort of dreamwalk, just not as deep. Isabel was the one chosen for the task, dreamwalking being her particular expertise. It was to discover any unusual activity. Maria of course called it 'Mind Patrol.' Michael then in reply said she watched way too much Buffy. That got them both started on an argument, with escalating voices.   
  
"Hey, I'm not the one that watches Dawson's Creek," Maria hit back at Michael.  
  
Six shocked faces turned to Michael.  
  
"You do not. Please say you don't," Alex pleaded. This was ridiculous he thought. Michael is supposed to be scary. Scary people don't watch Dawson's Creek.  
  
Michael didn't answer. That in itself was an answer. Maria didn't have the same qualms,   
"He likes Joey. And thinks Pacey is really cool."  
  
"Please, Joey is supposed to be with Dawson," Liz said.  
  
"How can you say that? Pacey is so much cooler than Dawson. Dawson is just boring.," Michael spoke without thinking. The somewhat horrified faces of his friends to statement made him blush slightly and duck his head, "I'll just shut up now."   
  
He knew it was a bad idea to watch the show in her presence. She had been making fun of him about it since she found out. Speaking of the her, Maria was killing it laughing so hard she was practically on the floor. Max and Kyle was just as bad. Liz was looking insulted because he had called Dawson boring and Isabel looked dignified but amused with that face that said one more thing and she would burst out laughing. Tess, on the other hand was wearing her "you'll are strange species" look.   
  
It took all of them at least 10 minutes to compose themselves. Even after that someone kept making small cracks about the show and that would start them all again. With lunch almost over, it was decided that Isabel, Tess, Max and Liz would use the last period of the day, which was free for study to try a daytime scan. They would mind patrol twice every few days, one at night and one during the day. The others would keep watch while Isabel went under. Michael had art and he left immediately, practically running to avoid Maria's laughter following him. Kyle headed for gym and wrestling practise and Maria and Alex left for English soon after.  
  
The four remaining teens walked to the library and found a quiet corner on the second floor to practise. Max and Liz kept watch to prevent anyone seeing Isabel and Tess held Isabel's hand. The idea was to basically surf the surface of minds. She didn't require a picture because she wasn't trying to enter the mind of one particular person but it did require a lot of concentration. It took her a few minutes to reach the place.  
  
She called the place the dreamscape. It was similar in her mind to an endless field covered in mist. A photograph was like directions to a person's mind or subconscious. This time she was just entering the dreamscape and wandering around, lightly picking up stray thoughts and images as she passed. The minds of those closest to her were also the nearest to her physical manifestation of herself in her mind as well.   
  
She walked past Max, Liz and Tess's dreamscape representations without trying to delve deeper and moved further afield to those she could not recognise and began to walk, lightly scanning as she moved. Time moved differently in the dreamworld Isabel was walking in. A few seconds could take an hour and an hour could be a minute.  
  
Tess watched Isabel carefully as she lay against some bookshelves her eyes closed, her eyelids flickering slightly. She glanced at her watch and saw that nearly 60 minutes had passed. It was time to wake Isabel up. You had to be careful when waking someone up from a dreamwalk but Tess had had plenty of practise over the summer during their practise sessions together. But before Tess could lean over to wake her friend up, Isabel sat up suddenly. She blinked a few times and then stood up in one fluid motion and in determined steps moved towards the steps to exit the library.  
  
Tess stared at her in confusion. Isabel looked furious. Tess hurried after rapidly moving friend and moved along with Max and Liz, who had just noticed Isabel's new awake state, to stand in front of her. They three of them blocked her way down and waited for an explanation for her angry exposition.  
  
Downstairs in another building, Kyle was changing in the locker room with the rest of the wrestling team. He had finished earlier than they had and was on his way out when he remembered he had forgotten his book in the gym. He grabbed his stuff and detoured to fetch it. It was by chance he overheard the conversation that began after his departure. One that would never be said in his presence for fear of retribution. They all knew how he felt about her. She was practically family. His sister. To say he was furious was an understatement. Kyle's hands curled into fists. But before he could do anything, the coach saw him and called him over. By the time he had finished discussing the new wrestling teams strategies, the guys had already left. Kyle stormed out of the locker rooms after them. 


	11. Chapter 15

Part Fifteen  
  
There were many things that were different this year. Liz had stopped working at the Crashdown. She was interning at the new Congresswoman's office. It was a toss up to who took this harder – Maria or Max. Max was so used to seeing her in the Crashdown, it was usually his reason for coming there and also the one place he could sit and watch her without any reprisals. For Maria it was more of a loss of part of their friendship. The two of them had been working together for so long they relied on the other's presence, but still her loss was overset by her happiness for her friend's new job.   
  
Liz felt the loss as bad, but change happened, she reasoned and it was made easier by not having to see Max all the time, to not have to constantly fight the urge to run into his arms and beg him to take her back. They were friends now, her and Max – after finding Maria in the desert, but even though Tess had dropped the entire Destiny thing Liz had spent too much time away from Roswell trying to give him up to take him back now, not when he was better of without her to distract him.  
  
For Max he still came to Crashdown everyday. It brought back memories. Michael was still there and so was Maria. Maria became his saviour. She held his hand, listened to him talk and kept his hope alive. He tried to return the favour but part of him recognised that she didn't need him as much as he needed her. She seemed strong somehow – she radiated strength. Whatever happened in the summer changed a part of her. It was easily visible, in the way she talked, the way she walked and the way she dressed. It didn't just make Michael's blood pressure rise – the longer hair and shorter skirts but it caused him, Kyle and Alex no end of worries especially when they saw the way guys stared at her. Maria herself didn't notice or if she did she didn't care.   
  
Based on that, some of him wasn't totally surprised when he heard Isabel's explanation in the library but the rise of anger came so fast, that surprised him. Anger wasn't his thing. It was Michael's but Maria was his practically his sister. She was his best friend's girlfriend. She was his best friend. How dare they have such thoughts about her. This time it wasn't Isabel that led the way. It was Max. No one got to think about her like that without some payback.  
  
Kyle headed out into the hallway. Before he could do anything he ran into Alex. His short explanation on his eavesdropped conversation resulted in two angry guys. Just then the bell rang and the hallway filled with students. It wasn't surprising that the six incensed friends met and concluded that the thoughts that Isabel picked up on her mind patrol were the same that Kyle overheard. No one there repeated any of what made them so furious. They merely talked around it, slightly calmer now. They were trying to decide what to do when Michael found them.   
  
All of them immediately shut up. It didn't take a genius to figure out that telling Michael would not be an entirely good idea. If Michael was protective normally of his friends, the way he behaved about Maria was magnified 10 times. Unfortunately it didn't take a genius to figure out that they were hiding something. Subtle they were not, and Max and Kyle looked too enraged too fully hide it. Michael's expression didn't change after he heard. His eyes froze over though. One look into them and anyone with a brain would run in the other direction as fast as was humanly, or alienly possible.   
  
All thoughts were forgotten when Michael looked up, his Maria radar alerting him of her nearness. They followed his gaze to the end of the hall where Maria was, heading towards them. It was Liz's gasp that let them know the rest. Walking behind Maria were three of the wrestling guys. The 7 friends watched horrified as the events unfolded.  
  
One of the boys whistled.  
  
"Hey pretty girl,"   
  
"Drop dead, jerk." Maria didn't mince words.  
  
One of the guys pinched her butt. And all hell broke loose.  
  
It took Maria's friends 10 seconds to reach her.  
It took Michael 4 seconds to get there.  
It took Maria 2 seconds to twist his arm and slam him against the locker.  
  
All noise in the hall stopped. Everyone stared.   
  
"Touch me, again and I'll break your arm." Maria twisted it a little more to emphasise her point. He nodded in haste. She let him go and he slumped to the floor. He lay there looking up at her. She ignored him, picked up her fallen backpack and calmly walked to Michael.   
  
His friends were not as co-operative. They stepped up right behind her. And then stopped. Michael stood there, his arms folded, his expression cold. Before Maria could do or say anything. Kyle, Max and Alex stepped up next to Michael their postures identical. The staring match between the two groups lasted a few minutes. It was conducted in absolute silence before the jocks turned around and left, ironically leaving their fallen friend lying on the floor.   
  
Michael bent down and crouched next to the embarrassed wrestling student. He said something softly and the guy got up in a hurry and ran down the hall after his friends.  
  
The show over, the noise level rose again everyone in the school relishing in the new topic that had just fallen into their laps. People rushed away to tell the story to those unlucky enough not to have seen it. Maria's friends stood there surrounding her slightly in shock over the incident, in shock over her display, in shock in general.  
  
It was only when she continued walking heading to the parking lot, that they snapped out of it and followed her, rushing to catch up. They all stood at the jetta a few minutes later.  
  
"Hey Maria, will you be my bodyguard?" Alex broke the silence. Everyone laughed.  
  
"Why, you need one?" Maria teased in return.  
  
"Will you teach me that move. Man I can thrash the competition with that at the next meet," Kyle said in admiration. Wow could his sister move.  
  
Maria laughed again, "Sure, big brother."  
  
"Me, too," Isabel said.  
  
"Me, three," Liz and Tess stated in unison.  
  
Michael didn't say anything. He just looked at her but it was a look filled with a mixture of shock, admiration, love and pride. Maria stared at him and interpreted the look almost correctly. She blushed and turned around to open the door to the jetta. She hadn't meant to throw that sleaze against the locker but it all happened so fast she just didn't think.   
  
Maria had stopped to talk with Mrs Burrows after English. Alex had offered to wait for her but she sent him along without her. She had just walked out the classroom when a jolt of pure rage went through her. She knew it was Michael so she headed towards him following her instincts. She just caught sight of him at the end of the hall when the jerk started to hassle her. When he touched her, she didn't think she just reacted. Two months of training and hours of practise since left her with quick reflexes. It was an automatic response. She didn't really regret it but already they were asking questions.   
  
A discussion was in order. But not now. She evaded the immediate questions and promised to tell them tonight. At Michael's place. She was not looking forward to this meeting. But she had avoided it long enough. Maria knew this time they would never let her avoid the altercation that had been building since they had found her in the desert. 


	12. Chapter 16

Part Sixteen  
  
Liz was slightly in a panic. She had forgotten a file that she was working on yesterday at home. With all that had happened in school today, she had been slightly distracted. Liz just knew any second now the Congresswoman was going to ask her for it.  
  
In desperation Liz picked up the phone and dialled a number she had dialled a thousand times before. It was Maria's fault she had been distracted going all Charlie's Angel on that idiot guy and besides what were best friends for. She hoped Maria got here with the file before she saw the Congresswoman. While the woman seemed nice most of the time, Liz saw something in her eyes that made her weary of making any mistakes. She didn't look like someone that dealt well with those that crossed her.   
  
Maria rushed up the stairs, pass Mrs Parker, calling hello as she raced by into Liz's room. Mrs Parker didn't blink. Maria was a common sight in their house, as common a sight as Liz was in the Deluca household, practically a second daughter. Thirty seconds later Maria ran by again calling a farewell. Mrs Parker smiled to herself as Maria left before she even heard the reply.  
  
Liz was waiting for her was the only thing Maria thought of as she ran into the Congresswoman's Whittaker's offices. She paused for a quick breathe before heading to the secretary's desk to ask for Liz. After receiving directions, Maria took a chance to look around for the first time. The place was filled with desks covered in computers, fax machines and phones. There was an office in the end of the room – Congresswoman Whitaker's. Maria headed towards the desk where the secretary said was Liz's.  
  
Liz was no where in sight. Towards the right a door was slightly ajar – the Congresswoman's office. Maria walked quietly towards the open door and quickly sneaked a look. She could see the Congresswoman but not much else. The woman was talking to someone. Maria moved in closer to see if it was Liz in the office. It took her a few seconds to figure out that Whittaker was on the phone. Maria began walking away when she overheard something that made her stop dead in her tracks.  
  
Pierce. The name brought bad memories and fear to the front. Even though he was dead and Nacedo had replaced him, the man had done too much and hurt too many people. Killing him had almost destroyed Michael. Before Maria had a chance to be buried in memories the FBI trained part of her had already come closer to listen in on the conversation. She could only hear the one side.  
  
"Yeah , I think I'm going to dump him. He's no use anymore. I can barely get any information and now with the shut down of the department, we will lose everything."   
  
"Of course, I took precautions. Yes all the files have been copied."  
  
"Please I have a back-up for everything." Her voice was smug.  
  
"No, I'm sending someone to pick them up. It's too risky for my contact to bring them here."  
  
"Of course, someone I trust. "  
  
"She's arriving tonight at 8. I stuck her in the Grange – that motel on the edge of town. Tomorrow I'll give her the identity and directions. The later the better. She'll pick up the files, hand them to me and leave immediately."  
  
"Uh-huh. By this time tomorrow, we'll have everything we need on the royal four. It'll be only a matter of time."  
  
"Bye. Yeah I'll phone as soon as they are in my hands."  
  
Maria moved back towards Liz's desk as soon as she heard Whittaker put the phone down. She looked down and saw she was about to crush the file in her hands.   
'This was bad. At least it explained why the woman was on the news trying to keep the Department open after Nacedo initiated the shut-down. I have to do something.' Maria's thoughts were all over the place calculating and discarding theories. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Liz heading towards her, a look of total relief on her face. And everything that had happened today came back to her. She forgot the half- formed plan and the excitement and fear that arose since she overheard the conversation. She had to tell them everything tonight. There wasn't a choice anymore. They would all have to help if they were to intercept those files.  
  
Maria and Liz didn't stop to talk. Liz thanked Maria and Maria left immediately. She needed to psyche herself up for tonight. At least they would be slightly distracted by the Whittaker information and I won't get yelled at so much, I hope. Who was she kidding? Michael alone was going to probably try to keep her locked up for the rest of the year never mind Alex, Max and Kyle. She really didn't know when they all become so protective? Oh yeah , it was when she got stuck in the desert.   
  
Whatever happened the meeting had to be done by 8pm so they could find the courier in time. That gave her 2 hours to get ready and 2 hours for the meeting. Maria headed towards the desert - to her cliffs. She needed to think.  
  
End 


	13. Chapter 17A

Part Seventeen A  
  
As usual the meeting was at Michael's apartment. Six of the eight were already there. They didn't say much to each other as they waited. All of them were aware that they were thinking the same thing and that was this time they were not going to take no for an answer. Maria was going to clear up a few mysteries today, even if they all had to gang up on her. They were not going to cave. Time had been spent discussing the matter previously.   
  
It had taken them some time to come up with a reasonable explanation for Maria always winning arguments and finally they reached the conclusion that it was because she always took them on in small numbers, usually only one or two people. There was strength in numbers the teenagers had decided and they were all going to stay strong.   
  
The blame for the total lack of answers had also been by majority vote placed squarely on Max's shoulders. The reasoning behind that was obvious. It was his job as leader to find these things out and his new "Girlfriend" status had obvious made him susceptible to what Alex referred to as the puppy-dog-look, therefore he hadn't completed his job. As Alex had explained to the rest during one of the many discussions on strategy to make Maria give up her summer activities, it wasn't his and Liz's fault that they fell for it since they had the excuse of years of friendship. Max's counter argument that after years of friendships they should by now have figured out immunity to Maria's puppy dog look.   
  
It was Michael who ended that argument surprisingly with his 'the look is lethal' and there is no defence argument. Even more surprisingly it was Tess and Isabel who agreed with him. It was also Isabel who finally decided that since blame had to be apportioned and Michael was protected by the boyfriend thing the blame therefore fell on Max and Liz. Liz it was decided should share blame because she was technically the best friend and should by now know. Both Max and Liz were adamantly opposed to this but were overruled quite happily by the remaining members of the group.   
  
No one explained why Michael was immune but the one thing that was unanimous was the shock felt over Maria's continued silence. After all, as bluntly and rather unkindly put by Kyle 'The girl had made babbling an art form.' This was, of course, taken very badly by the subject's sort-of/kinda/ex-boyfriend who had been heard on many a occasion telling her to shut up. Unfortunately he didn't extend that courtesy to anyone else and that particular discussion had ended rather quickly by all to prevent a fist fight defending the honour of the 'known for her babbling' subject.  
  
Maria kung-fu act today in school had pushed their timetable up and increased the determination of all to find out where she had been. Surprisingly without having to use any of the persuasive techniques the 7 friends had prepared Maria had agreed to the meeting and to share the information.   
  
The door opened and they all looked up expectantly but it was only Liz. She greeted them and then sat down where Max had stood up to give her his seat on the couch. Isabel looked at her watch and sighed loudly. It appeared that all of them were ridiculously early. There was still 15 minutes before Maria was due to arrive. Still no one said anything. They were waiting. And it had all been said already.   
  
Outside Maria had just arrived. She sat in the car for a few minutes before squaring her shoulders and climbing up to Michael's door. She stood outside the door for another few minutes planning what she was going to say. She jumped when the door was opened suddenly and Michael took her arm and dragged her in.  
  
"Damn it, Maria. You have been standing at the door for 5 minutes not to mention the time spent in the car. We're all waiting," impatience laced Michael's tone.  
  
"I can't decide if their little radar thing creeps me out or really impresses me," Kyle whispered to Tess.  
  
"You and me both," Tess whispered back.  
  
"Excuse me. But didn't we say 6. I am exactly on time. Not my fault you are early."  
  
"Since when do you stand on ceremony before coming in. Hell, you have your own keys."  
  
"Wait a minute. She has keys. Why does she have keys?" Max cut in. "And why don't I have any?"  
  
"Hellllllo. Max, did you forget you're a Czechoslovakian. You don't need keys." Maria emphasised her point by lightly tapping him on the head.  
  
Max looked embarrassed for a second before remembering the reason why. He opened his mouth to enquire again but Michael answered him before he could speak.  
  
"I gave her the damn keys okay, Max. Its my apartment. I am allowed to that right?", his tone was sarcastic.   
  
Isabel decided to interfere before Max and Michael gave Maria and Michael a run for their money.   
  
"Why don't we start? Maria you wanna tell us now?"  
  
"Not particularly," came the dry answer in reply. Isabel smiled.  
  
"You all have to promise not to yell at me, especially you Michael. And Isabel."  
  
"Why me?" Isabel asked in surprise.  
  
"You'll see." Maria answered cryptically, "Do you promise."  
  
"Okay," Isabel replied. Maria looked at the rest of them.  
  
"Yeah," Liz, Alex and Max said in unison.  
  
"Alright, " Kyle replied and Tess echoed him.  
  
Everyone looked at Michael.   
  
"What? I'm not making some stupid promise I am not going to keep. She obviously did something I need to yell at her about."   
  
"She is standing right here," Maria said, "And she is not saying anything until you promise."  
  
It was the pleading looks on the others faces that caused him to reconsider.  
  
"How about this I promise to try not to yell at you."  
  
The teens turned their pleading looks on Maria this time. Like Michael she had little defence.  
  
"Fine," she gave in.  
  
End Part 17A 


	14. Chapter 17B

Part Seventeen B  
  
"You need to sit I think. It will be better. Everyone except Michael sat, squashing on the limited seating arrangements available, with Tess practically on top of Kyle perched on the end of the couch. Michael stood leaning against the wall his legs and arms both crossed.   
  
"Its going to sound a little unbelievable, okay. Don't interrupt. It's hard enough to tell you without…just wait till it's over."  
  
Maria stood in front of them. As she began talking she started to pace slowly in front of them. The seven pairs of eyes followed her.  
  
"It all began after the you found out about your purpose here. Michael wasn't talking to me. Liz just left. All of you were upset and distracted. Michael got it into his head he was dangerous and he had to protect me and nothing I said made any difference. He wasn't talking or willing to listen and Max and Isabel were too busy dealing with what they heard from their mother to see what saving the sheriff and Max from Pierce to see what it was doing to him. Tess was the only one who could see what was happening and at the time we didn't fully trust her and we blamed her for a lot that happened." Maria sent a apologetic look in Tess's direction.   
  
Everyone was listening and their expressions varied and changed with almost every sentence, from guilt to understanding. No one interrupted.   
  
"I couldn't do anything here. No one thought I could do anything at all. I was just this weird girl who freaked out regularly and babbled a lot. I was dangerous to you," Maria continued. A number of voices immediately forgot the no interrupting rule and rose in protest.   
  
"You were never a danger to us," Tess's voice surprisingly was the loudest.   
  
"How can you say you never do anything? You the one that comes up with all the ideas," Liz said.  
  
"I know I didn't trust you in the beginning but I do now, have for a long time. I trust you with my life. For heaven sake you are one of my best friends," Isabel said next. The others all nodded in agreement.   
  
"I always trusted you," Michael's voice was quiet.  
  
"He did. In the beginning when you guys just found out. I was the one that freaked out the most. Michael hardly yelled at Max at all. And I was the one that was worried about you. Michael never questioned you. Liz, he wasn't so sure of but you… let's just say Mr. Paranoia over there didn't seem to think that you would tell at all," Isabel finished her long spiel.  
  
Maria looked surprised, "He didn't ask you to dreamwalk me?"  
  
"No. Isabel did that on her own," Max answered.   
  
"Really?" Maria asked.  
  
Michael stood on the side listening quietly.  
  
"Yes. Really. And you know I never told them what I saw either." Isabel said.  
  
"What you see?" Alex asked.  
  
"None of your business," Maria stated quickly. She decided to continue before everyone got to curious about that dream.   
  
"Anyway I decided that I was going to do something to help instead of just waiting around. I didn't know quite what to do until I came by to see Michael. He wasn't here. I knew because I couldn't feel him. I decided to leave a note for him so I went inside. I wrote it and I went to the fridge to stick it up and I saw the wallet of the FBI Agent that Nacedo killed lying on the table. I picked it up and took it. I didn't want Michael to have a reminder."  
  
"When I got home I had already forgotten about it until the next day when I met Isabel for lunch. I took out my lunch and the wallet fell out and it was like a lightbulb kind of flashed and the idea just came to me. " Maria paused and looked up at the 7 teens who were listening fascinated.  
  
"You know me, I'm spontaneous. I kinda went with the idea," Isabel's face started to clear as she slowly figured out what Maria was saying. Liz who was also present during the identification change expression also showed comprehension.   
  
"I had Isabel put my face on the identity. The more I thought about it the more the idea seemed workable especially after I remembered the research I did on the FBI when Topolsky first showed up."  
  
Isabel opened her mouth and then shut it again wanting to hear the rest first. Maria continued, "Liz was leaving and Michael wasn't talking to me. Alex tried but it wasn't enough. I went for it. I told everyone except Liz that I was in Florida. I made sure I phoned regularly so no one suspected and I drove to the FBI Training Base and talked my way into it."  
  
Maria told them everything from the self defence and hacking skills she learned to the stuff she did with Riverdog. Her friends sat in shock their expressions changing with each word she said. At some points their mouths hung open and they had to remind themselves to shut it.   
  
Kyle and Tess reactions ranged from sheer shock to outright admiration. They were not as close to Maria then, not as they were now. Alex wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Being her friend for so long had its perks and he was used to Maria's outrageous ideas even though this one was a bit out there even for her. Mixed with all that was running through his mind was the fear and worry that he felt for her and the among the rest he was hurt that she kept something so huge from him.   
  
Liz felt the hurt as well but it was guilt that was her main emotion. Guilt she felt for not having been there for a friend that had always been there for her, for being so self involved she didn't see that her best friend was going to the same thing as she was.   
  
Max was mad at her for putting herself in danger and for the total lack of control that came with being Maria's friend but at the same time he understood the sentiment she felt that she had to do something. Years of being Michael's best friend had made him accustomed to the thing that made Michael act rashly to protect those he considered family. It was one of those things that the two shared and made them so right for each other. They were the protectors.  
  
Isabel couldn't decide how she felt. Part of her was furious at her best friend for lying to her and making her an accomplice to a plan that could have gone so wrong but the other half of her admired the hell out of Maria. She had the guts to enter the lion's lair a place that terrified all of them. Part of her was relieved to finally know, a sentiment that was shared by all of them. Plus the Riverdog training did explain a few things – things that had been bugging her like how Maria kicked her out during that dreamwalk.  
  
Michael was beyond furious, beyond even anger. With every word that came out of her mouth he grew more coldly infuriated. He ignored the feelings of pride that arose with Maria's tale and squashed them down ruthlessly. He ignored the circles of attractions that were always just below the surface and were now screaming having watched her pace for the last hour as she spoke, the most time he had spent in her company since the desert. After all the effort he had placed in keeping her safe. He gave her up only to have her go do something this stupid to protect him. He was going to yell for sure. The things that could have gone wrong, they were too numerous to count. He didn't know the penalty for impersonating an FBI Agent but he was pretty sure it was big.   
  
Little of this showed on his face. It was an effort but he kept his face as carefully blank as he could, a feat only years of practised indifference made possible.  
  
Maria looked around nervously when she finally stopped at the point where she met the others in the desert. She glanced quickly in Michael's direction and looked away again, avoiding his gaze. She could feel the emotions coming of him. They were that strong. She looked at her other friends. She saw the shock, the hurt , the guilt, the anger and the admiration. She waited for the verdict, the reaction. No one said anything for a few minutes taking it all in. These were tense filled moments for Maria. She had stopped pacing and now in a move imitating Michael stood against the wall expectant and watchful. She still had one more thing to tell after all.  
  
End Part 17B 


	15. Chapter 17C

Part Seventeen C  
  
As usual it was Kyle who broke the silence, "Damn, Ria but you sure do get around. I suppose I shouldn't challenge you to that wrestling match now especially after your Bruce Lee act this morning."  
  
That was enough to get the rest of them going.  
  
Liz stood up and hugged her. Maria put her arms around Liz and held her tight. It was both a plea for forgiveness and an acceptance of the apology Liz was sending.  
  
"I'm sorry…" both of them said at the same time. Then they laughed.  
  
"You go first," Maria said.  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and I just took of," the word came out in a rush from Liz.  
  
"You needed to go. I knew that. So did I. I'm sorry I never told you or Alex or any of the rest of you, especially after we promised no more secrets," Maria still didn't mention Michael by name. And she forced herself not to look in his direction.  
  
Alex got up as well with much difficulty displacing an Isabel and Max who was sitting next to him and joined Liz and Maria in the hug holding both of them in his arms. The group hug had the familiarity of hundreds before in the long threads of their friendship. Maria and Liz buried their faces in his shoulders and grabbed on tight. The others could hear light mumbling from Alex's shoulder as Maria apologised to him again, even if the words were not clear, the meaning was. Small feelings of envy arose in the watching friends, envy for the closeness the three shared and the trust and forgiveness that was so readily given.  
  
It was a while before they let go. The others were all standing around the room except Kyle and Tess who sat on the couch. Michael still hadn't moved both his expression and his position. Maria walked up to Isabel and stood in front of her. She had a special apology to make to Isabel for using her. The two girls looked at each other but before Maria could say anything Isabel smiled and hugged her.   
  
"You're not going to yell at me," Maria asked surprised.  
  
"I promised, didn't I? But you do that again and I will not be responsible for the consequences. Okay?" Isabel replied.  
  
Maria nodded emphatically in agreement.   
  
"Besides I want lessons," Isabel continued. "In particular that move you used a Mr. Hands today at school and I figure you owe me."  
  
"Lessons it is. Deal," Maria agreed.  
  
"Wait I want lesson too," Tess said.  
  
"Me too," Liz put in.  
  
"You guys do realise that a ten mile run every morning is required. No excuses," Maria said.  
  
"Every morning. Can't I do it every second day maybe?" Isabel asked causing everyone to laugh.  
  
"Damn," Alex whispered to Max and Kyle, "Now we are going to have to learn as well."  
  
"Yeah can't have the girls beating us up, can we?" Max sounded amused.  
  
Everyone stopped smiling and all conversation ended when Michael finally moved. Like the Red Sea splitting, the teens all cleared the way for him when he slowly walked toward his sort of/kinda/sometimes ex-girlfriend. No one was talking. Maria sent a desperate look to Alex, Max and Kyle but they all shook their heads. They were not going to get involved in this one. They even took a step backwards just for safety. Liz, Isabel and Tess were even less help.   
  
"What the hell were you thinking?" Michael's first words were only slightly louder than normal. Maria almost felt a sense of relief hearing them. At least the wait was over.  
  
"You know why I did it, Michael." She was proud of herself. She sounded calm and rational.  
  
"Yeah. I do. Obviously living in the desert has caused some sort of meltdown in you brain, either that or your blonde cells were working at higher capacities than normal," Michael's sarcasm was in full gear. His control was shaky and he was torn between wanting to shake her or grabbing her and holding her as tight as possible like he had seen Alex do. Not doing either wasn't really helping his mood.  
  
Maria of course took offence to that. Whether it was the blonde reference or the insult to her intelligence that made her mad wasn't clear to the onlookers. What they did notice with fascination was the calm tones and reasonable sentences that quickly disappeared and the argument that followed   
  
Tess disappeared into the kitchen for a bit at the begin of the discussion that was now in full force, and emerged carrying a bowl. She sat down on the couch when she returned and waited for the fireworks to erupt, every few seconds popping some popcorn into her mouth. Kyle took her lead and sat down next to her leaning over to steal some popcorn and promptly spat it out as the taste of Tabasco sauce filled his mouth.  
  
Tess laughed softly and then felt sorry for him so she waved her hand over half the popcorn and the Tabasco disappeared. Alex pulled up next to Kyle and Isabel helped herself to the popcorn from Tess's side. Their heads moved from side to side as they followed the conversation between their fiery friends, like watching a tennis match their eyes on the ball.  
  
Watching what Maria sometimes referred to as discussions, disagreements, arguments or fights depending on speaking status with her partner in crime was always interesting. Sparks flew and often the spectator felt you could just about see the electricity flow between the two and getting too close will only result in you getting burned. Today was no different if more intense than normal. For Michael and Maria fighting was as natural as breathing and half the time it was just their way of flirting.  
  
The confrontation between the two was a long time coming and as it escalated voices rose and accusations flew back and forth covering sheer stupidity (that was Michael's to Maria) to overprotectiveness and idiocy (Maria's to Michael). The couple forgot that anyone else was in the room and just went at it. In between, as was common between the two, feelings escaped and some "I love you's" were yelled at some point as reasons. Nearer to the end a few apologies may have even been said but these at lower decibel levels than the rest of the exchange.   
  
For the witnesses it was more entertainment than going to the movies. The popcorn didn't last that long but no one was ever going to accuse Tess of not being prepared. She brought extras and because she didn't want to miss anything, popped it the Czechoslovakian way without moving. They split the new packet between the humans and the aliens.  
  
All of them saw the power that was Maria as the argument slowly came to an end. That's not to say Michael didn't give her a run for her money. He was good but she was Maria and sooner or later everyone caved to Maria. It was the fact that she did it for him that won it for her. After she said that in a soft and unsure tone, he just stared at her a for a couple of seconds before opening his arms and enfolding her in them. Then he leaned back slightly and they met in the middle in a kiss. It wasn't a long kiss and she buried her head in his chest and he lightly touched his lips to her forehead before losing his face in her hair.   
  
They stood like that for a while as their friends watched in silence unnoticed until Maria suddenly moved her head back and said, "Oh my God. I totally forgot. I have to tell you what I found out today. Man am I an idiot."  
  
"That's what I have been saying," Michael put in, a smirk on his face now that the storm was over. Maria tapped him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"This is important, spaceboy. Its about the Congresswoman."  
  
"Okay I personally can not take any more revelations from you. They're too…see what you did to my brain. You shocked it to death. I have no vocab left," Alex said.   
  
"Congresswoman Whittaker?" Liz questioned ignoring Alex.  
  
"Uh huh. Remember when I came to drop of that file today, well I kind of overheard something." Maria answered also ignoring Alex. Then she told them all she heard still standing in the circle of Michael's arms.  
  
"Okay. That's it. I am going to lock you up and not let you out ever again. You are dangerous on your own," Michael said.  
  
"I'll help you," Max added.  
  
"Hey," Maria stated indignantly.  
  
"I'll hold her down. Then we tie her up as well so she definitely can't escape." That came from Kyle.  
  
"And I think we should gag her. It will best for all if she can't speak or argue," Alex put in. All the guys looked at each other in complete agreement. Maria on the other hand didn't look as pleased.  
  
"It's not my fault I heard this. It's Liz's. I wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for her," Maria said.  
  
"Guys, can we please be a little serious about this. This is bad. We have to do something," Isabel's voice had a bit of fear in it.  
  
"We should call Nacedo and tell him," Tess said.  
  
Liz was still looking a little shocked after the new revelations about her boss. She was also a little chagrined that she hadn't discovered it herself. Max was quiet now as he considered the implications of what Maria had overheard and calling Nacedo. The others in the room also grew quiet as the ramifications of this sunk in.  
  
Maria had the whole afternoon to think about it so she didn't say anything as the others did what she had already done, creating and discarding ideas. She had formed a plan to get the files back and she knew it was pointless to call Nacedo without the identity of the contact in the department especially since it was obvious that he didn't already know about it. It was Kyle who answered Tess's question about calling their protector. The others all agreed.  
  
Maria told them her plan to retrieve the information. It was a well thought out and extremely detailed plan involving numerous elements. It took a while to convince Michael to let the plan go through. He objected to anything even slightly dangerous if it involved Maria, ironically he had no problems if he was the one in danger. Max, Kyle and Alex also objected to it but the support of the girls pushed the vote in favour. Isabel, Liz and Tess while not wanting to put anyone in danger recognised that it was the only way to solve the problem and the guys deep down also knew that it was the best way to go, so eventually allowed themselves to be persuaded.  
  
It was a group decision. Max, while designated the leader, had been brought up in a democratic environment and had always made decisions together with Michael and Isabel. With the secret revealed and affecting more people the decision making process had been increased to include the others. Anything important as always they took a group vote and majority ruled except occasionally when a hiccup sometimes arose.   
  
The plan was dissected and everyone assigned roles. It was almost 8 o' clock. It was time to begin. Everyone left to do their part forgetting all and any previous tensions as they slipped into their crisis mode like a well oiled machine with lots of practise.   
  
End Part 17C 


	16. Chapter 18

Part Eighteen  
  
It was Liz's idea that each of them pair up as human/alien couples for safety. Somehow without an actual discussion on the matter the eight of them divided themselves into the relationships that were most familiar to them.  
  
Kyle and Tess had the first role. They left immediately from Michael's apartment to the Grange to find the woman who was supposed to pick up the files. The motel was a small one just at the edge of Roswell. It didn't take long to find her. She was the only new check-in and the only single woman. They discovered this by some basic detective work. Tess mindwarped the clerk and Kyle studied the records. Her name was Agent Megan Harris.   
  
The two of them parked close by to her room and after making sure she was in, phoned the Sheriff to send someone to keep an eye on her. They didn't inform the sheriff the entire plan and surprisingly he didn't ask. He just sent one of his deputy's to the motel with strict orders to notify them if she left. Unfortunately being in school meant even with a rather understanding father, staying out all night with a girl was not something that would go down well and so they had to adjust the plan. In the morning the two of them would return and relieve the deputy from stake out duty.  
  
Max and Liz were in charge of the next part. It was decided that Liz would plant a couple of bugs in the Congresswoman's office. This was mainly because she could do this early in the morning by entering the office without raising any suspicions because of her job. She would just say if caught that she forgot something and came to fetch it. Max was going along in case something went wrong and to open any doors that may need to be opened.   
  
The next day Max and Liz arrived at the Congresswoman's office around seven. There was no one there yet so Max using a little bit of his powers unlocked the doors, both the entrance and the office door. Alex had given them two listening devices to use, one for the phone and one for the office. Both of them had to practise placing the bug in the phone many times the night before under Alex and Maria's strict supervision. With all the practise they had done, it all went smoothly. Max stood lookout at the door and Liz placed the bugs both out of sight. After a short test to see if Alex and Isabel could hear, they left for school. One of the other decisions made the night before had been that at least four of them would have to go to school to avoid rising any suspicion as would be if all eight of them were missing.  
  
Alex was responsible for all the high tech stuff. It was his expertise after all. Isabel was his partner in crime. The teens were using the listening devices they had found after their last run in with the FBI and Nacedo. Alex and Isabel were staked out in Michael's apartment which was within range of the Congresswoman's office. The two of them would listen in and report to Michael and Maria and Kyle and Tess. Just in case they were to skip school and stay all day. The two of them were also home base and everyone was to report to them and update them with any new developments.   
  
*****************  
  
Kyle and Tess pulled up at the Grange just minutes before Agent Harris left. The Congresswoman was already in her office based on video feed from the office device and so far nothing suspicious had been overheard. Kyle and Tess followed the agent to the Congresswoman and waited outside for further instructions.  
  
Alex and Isabel listening in the apartment with Michael and Maria who copied and memorised all the information on the whereabouts of the FBI Headquarters and the meeting and retrieval of the files. Michael and Maria then left for the meeting while Isabel sent Tess the go ahead.   
  
The plan was simple. Tess would mindwarp the Agent into stopping her car thinking there was a red robot and then further convince her that she received new orders to go back home. Maria would then replace her at the meeting and retrieve the files while Kyle and Tess would return to school after only missing the first two periods. So far everything was going accordingly and a complete success. The Agent was on her way home and the only part left, and the most difficult, was Maria's role to collect the files.  
  
Michael insisted that he go along for protection. It was the concession they had made to get to him to agree to the plan. In addition he was the only other person who had any experience in imitating a FBI Agent. Maria was all dressed up in her power suit and Michael had already adjusted his clothes. Maria's identity document had also been changed by Michael reflecting Agent Harris's details, all collected by Kyle and Tess.   
  
The headquarters was half an hour away. It was a silent drive filled with unspoken thoughts. Michael and Maria were a strange contradiction in many ways. While both of them could be extremely vocal especially towards one another, some of their best communication was made in silence. Both of them knew what the other was thinking. It wasn't necessary to say it out loud.  
  
Getting into the building was easy. At the entrance all they had to do was show the identity before they were waved in. Michael remained in the car ready to leave immediately or go in and help if he felt Maria ask for it. Maria got out of the car in one smooth moment. She didn't say goodbye to Michael and he didn't wish her good luck. The two of them just exchanged one glance, an emotion filled glance that said all that needed to be said before Maria tuned and walked into the building.  
  
The building was a nondescript grey two story. It seemed like any other office building except for all the security that surrounded it. No one would have suspected it being the headquarters of an elite and secret FBI Task Force. Maria walked in, seemingly confident. Her outer appearance and expression revealed none of the inner turmoil and nervousness she was feeling at that moment. She took a deep breathe before approaching the reception and then smiled as what resembled a light breeze from within went through her. It was a message from Michael telling her that she would be fine and that everything would be okay.   
  
After that, Michael saying that he had faith in her and that he trusted her, Maria found the rest easy. Within minutes she had asked for the contact and been ushered into a small room just of the entrance to receive the files. Maria's hair had been changed to a reddish brown colour and the length adjusted by Max to match the description of the woman who she was pretending to be – one of his Girlfriend duties as Maria put it. Similarly her face matched the identification she carried. Maria didn't even blink when upon displaying it, the man the Congresswoman was paying for inside information scrutinised the identification and compared her face. She trusted Michael and he did good work especially when it counted.   
  
Both Maria and the identification passed the test. The man handed her a small envelope containing two disks. Maria didn't open up the envelope. She just took it, smiled and said thank you, waved goodbye and walked out the building. The second Michael felt her get closer he moved the car and pulled up directly in front of the building just as Maria strolled out. She jumped into the car and at his questioning gaze gave a small smile of triumph.  
  
Michael restrained himself from yelling in excitement even after he drove out the entrance gates. Maria on the other hand wasn't as hesitant and screamed loudly before leaning over and giving him a loud kiss. Then she sat back with a huge cat got the cream grin on her face. He just laughed in response. Before they had much of a chance to enjoy the moment, Maria's cell phone rang. It was Isabel.   
  
*******************   
  
Alex and Isabel had been sitting in Michael's apartment for a couple of hours now. Waiting was a horrible job and Isabel was bored out of her mind. They were waiting for news from Michael and Maria to see if everything went according to plan. Listening to the Congresswoman, apart from the morning meeting with Agent Harris, had proved useless so far. Nothing out of the ordinary had been said. Even Alex looked slightly dissatisfied which was strange because he loved to play with little gadgets.  
  
Isabel had her head resting on Alex shoulder as usual when the phone on the screen they were watching rang. Without much enthusiasm Isabel and Alex both reached for the headphones to listen in on the conversation.   
  
The conversation. It made Isabel wish with all her heart that she could go back to being bored again, back to when the hardest thing the 8 of them had to do was retrieve some files from the heart of a secret FBI Headquarters.   
The strange thing was, with all this time, since the cave that they had been waiting for some move from the enemy and nothing had happened in months, part of Isabel just hoped and believed that nothing would ever happen. Even the thing with the files hadn't changed her belief, since the FBI was just an old enemy not something new.  
  
She looked at Alex in a panic but found no comfort there. He was just as terrified as she was. Only four were left. Max and Liz. Kyle and Tess. All gone. She had to phone Michael. He and Maria would fix it. They were the strong ones in the group. Alex handed her the phone, reading her mind, the number already dialled. On the other end, Michael's voice could be heard. Isabel could hear the smile in his voice and knew that the mission had been a success even before he said anything. And she knew that the second she spoke that smile would be gone.  
  
End part 18 


	17. Chapter 19

Part Nineteen  
  
It took Isabel a few seconds to gather up enough courage to speak. Michael didn't notice at first. He was busy telling Isabel all about the retrieval. She waited for him to finish the sentence before saying his name, "Michael."  
  
It was her voice that told him something was wrong. It was the same voice she used when ever she was scared and used to have nightmares about being dissected when she was younger. She used to run into Max's room where Michael was usually sleeping and stand there at the door and say his name or Max's in this really small soft tone just before she threw herself into their arms and burst out crying. As she got older she did it less and he came over less but every once in a while, even with Alex around Isabel would show up and say his name in that same tone and he always knew that whatever it was, it was bad.  
  
"What's wrong, Izzy?" Michael was never one to mince words.  
  
Isabel didn't know quite how to begin, "I know why she wanted the files, Michael."  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked knowing she was stalling.  
  
And all of a sudden Isabel knew she couldn't break the news to him. Telling her big brother would make it real. She asked to speak to Maria. Maria would tell him. The minute Maria came on the line, Isabel began sobbing and talking at the same time, her hand clutching Alex's.  
  
"Calm down, chica. Whatever it is we'll fix it,"   
  
"I can't tell him, Maria," she said between sobs.  
  
"Okay, Izzy. You tell me and I will tell him,"  
  
"They're all gone. They took them"  
  
"Took who. Who took them? Isabel?" Maria voice was rising in panic.  
  
Isabel looked up at Alex and found the strength there. Her sobbing calmed down and in a voice almost expressionless as she said the words Maria had been hoping she wouldn't hear, the words she had been dreading to hear.  
  
"They took Max, Liz, Tess and Kyle. Just before they got to school. We heard it during one of the phonecalls that woman was making. They were waiting for them."  
  
"Tell me exactly what you heard," Maria demanded.  
  
"She was talking to someone about something being only a part success. He said that they got Max and Liz immediately but no one else showed up. They waited for a couple of hours and then Kyle and Tess came. They waited some more but since we didn't go to school today…" Isabel let the sentence fade and then after a pause started again, "She called us subjects. She said that they'd better find subjects 3,4,5 and 6 before Kivar finds out that we were not taken."  
  
Maria couldn't say anything. She dropped the phone and turned to Michael her eyes wide and tearful. He'd heard and from her side of the conversation knew. He picked up the phone from the car seat where it had fallen. On the other end Alex took the phone from Isabel. She let him.  
  
Alex and Michael had a short conversation. Michael told Alex to take Isabel and get the hell out of there. Maria who seemed to get her strength back added for them to take the back way and avoid main roads. Michael also gave instructions for them to call Sheriff Valenti and told Isabel who was also now listening to grab whatever she could from the flat and after a short brainstorming between the four of them decided to meet at the pod cave. At the last second, Maria remembered the files and told Alex to bring his laptop so they could figure out what was on them. They didn't discuss details of their missing friends disappearance or rescue. That could wait. Hiding and regrouping was the most important thing now.  
  
Later they would rescue their friends and make the enemy pay.   
  
And so one couple broke every speed limit there was to get back to Roswell, to the cave and another sneaked out a small apartment and after making sure there was no one around watching, climbed down the fire escape, backpacks on their shoulders. All four knew that it was sheer luck that they had not been taken as well, sheer luck that Maria overheard a conversation and sheer luck that they didn't go to school today. And they knew that they were being hunted and running out of time. For their friends they would be strong.  
  
For their friends.  
  
End part 19 


	18. Chapter 20

Part Twenty  
  
Liz was terrified. More terrified than she could ever recall being in her life. More terrified than she had been when Michael got sick. More terrified than she had been when she had been kidnapped by Nacedo. More terrified than when Max had been captured by the FBI and more terrified than she had been running from Pierce, bullets shooting at them.  
  
The reason for this utter fear that was almost paralysing was the still form that lay on her lap on the floor in square lead covered room. Her hands moved in his hair as she beseeched him to move, to open his eyes, his beautiful out of this world eyes and smile at her with that sweet smile that made her breathe catch. She pleaded and implored him to wake up and to tell her that everything would be alright.  
  
She was all alone. All around her was pure silence, silent except for her voice talking to Max and it had been so since they had thrown his almost lifeless body into the room with her practically crawling in after. Only once had she heard sounds, voices yelling. She couldn't make out the words or the voices and that had been two hours ago. And in all that time Max had not moved. Not when she picked up his head and placed in her lap. Not when her fingers ran all over his face looking for some signs of life, of consciousness.   
  
Liz didn't cry. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She just sat there holding her soulmate in her arms and waited. Waited and prayed. Prayed that Max would wake up. Prayed that everyone else was okay and free. Prayed that she would be rescued soon.   
  
Her mind ran back to their capture, to see if she could have done anything differently, even if her scientific brain recognised the futility of the exercise. It had all happened so fast. There had been no warning and no time to warn anyone else. Max had been driving the jeep and she was in the passenger seat. They were a little late for school because of the stop the two of them had made at the Congresswoman's office. Just before they were about to pull into the parking lot of the school, three cars ran them of the road into an alley. The alley was deserted and the two had put up a fight but they were outnumbered by at least six.   
  
Max put up a forceshield using powers he didn't even know he had and shot out small bursts of energy at their ambushers. None of that mattered. Max ran out of energy and even though he took out at three people. Liz herself using a wrench form the car hit and injured one person pretty badly. Even now in hindsight she couldn't feel any remorse for that. It was when Max's energy levels started to diminish and the force field went down that it had gone from bad to worse.   
  
Whoever it was that was attacking them didn't want to kill Max just capture him. Liz herself wasn't as priority and one of them had shot a burst of lasers at her. Max had seen it out of the corner of his eyes and being Max jumped in front of her, pushing her towards the ground. The burst had hit him straight in the chest and he had fallen unconscious to the ground next to her. Liz didn't fight anymore after that and gave in. They threw the two of them into a van after driving for 10 minutes arrived at a house. Liz was panic stricken because Max had not regained consciousness and almost didn't notice the method she had been escorted into the house and thrown into the room where she now resided. Her only thoughts and concern were for the boy she loved.  
  
When the door opened suddenly Liz didn't look up. She didn't move. It was fortunate for her that no one came in and only some water pushed through. Liz waited for ten minutes before gently laying Max's head on the floor and sliding over to water and dragging it back to him. All problems, all misunderstandings, their break-up, all had been forgotten. Her only thought now was for him to wake up. She used the water to wash his face, slowly in small circles her fingers wet his face with the hope that it would cause him to open his eyes. Nothing happened but she wasn't ready to give up yet. She tried again and again every 15 minutes and waited. Waited and hoped.  
  
***************************  
  
Just two doors away in a room identical to the one Subjects 1 and 2 were in was another couple, Subjects 7 and 8. Of course they were in the dark about their titles or each other's presence. Kyle and Tess had been in the empty square room for just over an hour.  
  
Kyle sat against the wall in one corner. Tess sat next to him, her head on his shoulder. They didn't say much. They didn't know who was listening or watching. Although they were unaware of it their capture was almost identical to Max and Liz's, except for Max's unconscious state. Tess tried to mindwarp their kidnappers but they were just too many of them for her to sustain any long term mindwarp in order for her and Kyle to get away. The same alley that resulted in their friends kidnap was also the site of theirs. It was also the site of the two bodies that between her and Kyle they had taken out in the fight that occurred subsequent to the ambush, and the many injuries that not only the enemy had suffered.   
  
In the end it was the fact that they were totally outnumbered, and that either would die before letting anything happen to the other that led to their surrender. They were carted of in a van clutching each other's hands and thrown into the room they currently inhabited. They may have surrendered but the two had not given up. They made enough of a fuss when being thrown into their prison to get their point across, even though Kyle was injured pretty badly and Tess was exhausted from fighting and trying to heal herself and Kyle from the worst of their wounds.   
  
It was a long hour and more to come. They ignored the pain as much as they could and thought up escape plans while they recovered as a way to both counter the helpless feelings and fear that ran through them and to distract from the pain. The time passed and Kyle and Tess rested while they waited for Tess to gather enough energy reserves to contact the others and see if they were okay.   
  
End Part Twenty 


	19. Chapter 21

Part Twenty One  
  
Alex and Isabel arrived at the cave first despite the roundabout route they used to get there in case there was anyone following. The trip was tension filled with worry for their family and fear of getting caught as well. They entered the cave using Isabel's handprint and DNA. Isabel also used her powers to camouflage the car so it wouldn't be seen in the desert unless you were up close.  
  
They had some supplies at the cave already since the four aliens had spent many a practise session here the past summer and even on occasion camped here. Whatever else they might have needed Isabel grabbed from Michael's apartment.   
  
Isabel paced up and down the cave while Alex took inventory while they waited. The cave was lit up using some stones strategically placed, which Isabel and Tess on a previous occasion figured out how to create a long lasting light. It took Michael and Maria another ten minutes to arrive even after speeding.   
  
When they walked into the cave, Isabel and Alex were hiding behind a rock formation inside just in case. The second Isabel saw Michael she ran out and went straight into his arms. Alex did the same with Maria. And then Maria hugged Isabel while Alex and Michael looked on.  
  
"Don't even think about it," Alex said as he glanced at Michael, resorting to humour as usual in any tough situation.  
  
Michael smirked and walked towards Alex his arms wide open. Alex backed away in huge exaggerated steps his hands held out in front of him as if to ward away evil. Very few were aware of it but Alex and Michael shared the same sense of humour, ironically since they were two so very different people. Maria and Isabel both managed tiny smiles at their antics leaving the guys feeling inordinately proud of that small but major achievement.  
  
Alex in particular was extremely relieved to see Michael and Maria. Watching Isabel pace up and down was nerve wrecking notwithstanding his calm temperament. In addition despite Michael and Maria's own feelings on the matter about themselves, the rest of the group often relied on the two of them for strength and as saviours even before Max was dragged out of the FBI by Michael and the sheriff. They were of course still the moments that Max accused Michael of getting into trouble and needing rescuing from his recklessness but Max always knew that ultimately Michael was the person you wanted on your side when you were you were in trouble. What made Michael and Maria so perfect for each other is that Maria was exactly the same. She could always be relied upon for an idea no matter how bizarre. FBI Training didn't hurt much either.  
  
And a plan, a strategy was what they needed right now. The four of them sat down and discussed the entire situation, all they knew. Previous experience had taught them you couldn't just rush into a situation like this. You need to prepare, to plan. To get in. And to get out. They hadn't got far when the sheriff showed up in the desert. He knew the general area of the cave but not the exact location. A quick phone call to Maria's cell phone fixed that and the guys went out to meet him and bring him in.  
  
Isabel hadn't told him exactly what was wrong and needless to say he was upset over his son's disappearance not to mention those he had sworn to protect. Catching him up on all that had happened was enlightening for everyone especially since everyone only knew bits of information and not anything in its entirety.  
  
After the information swap Isabel attempted, for the third time, to dreamwalk Max and Tess, and again was unsuccessful. She had tried once before in the car on the way to the cave and another when Michael and Maria first arrived. Wherever their friends were, they were unreachable and each time Isabel tried, and failed she lost more hope.  
  
After the third ineffectual attempt, Alex more to distract Isabel than anything else suggested looking at the files in the meantime while the sheriff did a little old fashioned detective work i.e. minus alien powers. He was going to tail the congresswoman in the hopes that it would lead him to his son and their friends. Unfortunately because of her status and her being so well known he couldn't trust anyone to do this for him and would have to do it himself. It had been decided that this was the best way to find them since Isabel's dreamwalks were not working. Plus as Alex said, "The congresswoman didn't know that they knew she was bad and wouldn't be so cautious and the missing files hadn't been discovered yet."   
  
And so the sheriff left. Maria, Isabel and Alex determined that the next move should be to deal with the parents and so they three of them phoned to explained their absences. Michael didn't have to answer to anyone and it wasn't necessary to explain Tess's disappearance. Kyle's father already knew.   
  
For Alex it was easy. He told his parents he was staying over at Michael's. They didn't complain. Isabel phoned her mum at work and said that the girls were going over to Tess's for a sleepover. She didn't use Maria or Liz because her parents knew the Parkers and Amy Deluca. Isabel also said to her mum that Max was going to stay with Michael. Diane Evans was so relieved that her son, who had been extremely withdrawn recently, was doing a social event she didn't ask to speak to him and granted permission willingly for both of them. Isabel heaved a sigh of relief when she hung up. The last thing that they needed right now was upset parents.  
  
Maria also had it pretty simple. She and her mother had an open and trusting relationship most of the time and Maria didn't have to convince her of anything especially since she said that the slumber party included Liz, Isabel and Tess. Amy adored Liz for years, was really fond of Isabel and liked and felt slightly sorry for Tess being motherless.  
  
Liz was the last one they had to handle. She was the most difficult and no one knew quite what to do about the Parkers. They decided by almost a unanimous vote except for Maria's to leave it up to Maria since she was the best friend. Ironically after all the disasters that had occurred in the lives of the teens, fate threw them a bone. When Maria dialled the Crashdown, desperately thinking of something to say, some excuse to explain a missing Liz, Mrs Parker's first statement gave her an easy out.  
"Maria, honey did Liz forget something for this weekend. I thought she took all her stuff this morning,"  
  
In all the events that had occurred it had totally slipped Maria's mind that Liz was going to spend the weekend at her house bonding and catching up, something that they hadn't done in a long time.  
  
"No, Mrs Parker. I just phoned to say that we will be at Tess's house instead,"  
Maria said the first thing that came to her head. That was a good thing because as her undercover coach at the FBI Training had told them on numerous occasions, "If you are lying, keep the lies simple as possible and consistent." Not good advice to give to a teenager but then again these were not normal teenagers. And there were some times when it was just better to keep the parents in the dark. After all, what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.   
  
"Okay honey. You girls have fun. Tell Liz I'll see her on Sunday night."  
  
"Sure thing, Mrs P. Bye."  
  
"Bye, Maria." And this time it was Maria that gave the sigh of relief.  
  
That over, Maria took out the envelope from her jacket pocket and handed it to Alex. Doing that made her notice her clothes. Perfect for infiltrating an FBI training facility but not for sitting in a cave. It was easily fixed though. One wave of Michael's hand changed her clothes to jeans and a top and since he missed the shoes Isabel turned her high heels into Nikes.  
  
Alex went and took out his laptop from one of the backpacks lying in the corner and put the disk in while everyone crowded around so they could see. The disk was encrypted by a simple code according to Alex. It took him a few minutes to break it and within seconds of that what had previously looked like gibberish formed proper characters and zipped files. Unzipping was an easy process and soon a number of text files appeared. There were ten files, all named using the initials of the teenagers as well as the sheriff and Nacedo which was simply called unidentified.   
  
All the files were pretty big except for Tess's, for which less was known about due to her lifestyle and living with Nacedo for all these years. From what the four of them could tell it contained profiles on all of them. The profiles were largely written by Agent Topolsky and were psychological profiles containing what she thought made them tick, what could be used to control them, who they cared about, their backgrounds as far as possible that could be traced and events involving them to the FBI's knowledge.   
  
The files were unbelievably accurate. They revealed things that the teens had hard time admitting to themselves. It was obvious it was written by someone who knew them pretty well or studied them thoroughly. Reading the profiles left them all a bit shaken about the wealth of information available on them. Michael in particular took it hard. It didn't help that the files made particular mention that the one thing that could get Michael to co-operate if ever captured would be Maria. That Maria took badly. She didn't want to be his weakness. The teens reading the files missed the strengths in their own characters and focused on the weaknesses yet had no trouble recognising those same strengths in their friends.   
  
The sheriff's file was similar to the teens and made a few mentions of his ex-wife and Amy Deluca. It also showed the change in the sheriff's attitude towards the aliens and recognised the turning point for this as the death of Everett Huble. In addition it gave a lot of insight into the relationship he had with Kyle. Nacedo's file didn't have much of a profile. It was more of a listing of suspected murders along with gruesome pictures to go with the details. The information the FBI had on him was sketchy to say the least.  
  
The files emphasised the strengths and weaknesses quite strongly. They were meant to be used in the case of capture and contained more than was usually required even for a terrorists psychological profile. The one good thing that came out of this was that this file was not in the hands of those that held Max, Liz, Tess and Kyle. It gave them some hope at least that the data on how to manipulate their friends into revealing information was not written down and freely available for use. There were only two copies of these files, to those that they had eavesdropped on and their knowledge. Nacedo had already destroyed the one, posing as Pierce, the head of the taskforce, and they were in possession of the only other copy available.  
  
After the study of the files, Michael made an attempt to contact Nacedo. Since he saw Nacedo kill that FBI Agent with no remorse and the pictures in his file Michael had lost a lot of his enthusiasm for the alien. While he wanted and recognised the need for his help he was still reluctant to let the alien provide the kind of help he was likely to give. Whether it was a good or bad thing Michael couldn't find Nacedo. If he was honest with himself he wasn't too unhappy about that. Although Nacedo was technically supposed to be their protector, Michael wasn't too keen on the guys attitude to humans and in particular didn't like the way he dismissed Maria and their other human friends as irrelevant despite all their help.   
  
Whatever the feelings he had on the matter it was unimportant for now. All that mattered was that they were on their own. And they needed to find out the location of their friends soon before time ran out. In his head he could hear a clock ticking and that pressured feeling increased. He wasn't the only one feeling it. Maria came to stand next to him and her hand reached out and met his. Across the room Isabel leaned her head on Alex's shoulder as his arm wrapped around her.   
  
It had been an hour since the sheriff had left to follow the Congresswoman. Two hours since they had discovered the kidnapping of their friends. Three hours since Kyle and Tess had been captured and four since Max and Liz's incarceration. A lot could happen in four hours. A lot could be done to someone in four hours. Their only hope was the that the delay of the missing files which must have been discovered by now would have slowed them down and prevented an interrogation. It was all they had.  
  
End Part 21 


	20. Chapter 22

Part Twenty Two  
  
The sheriff placed put his 'flashy thingies' on, as Amy and Maria referred to them, on the way back to Roswell. He figured being sheriff gave you some privileges, like breaking traffic and speeding laws when you were in a hurry. He tried not to think about what could be happening to Kyle and the others and instead focused on what he could do to help.  
  
It was after he pulled up next to the Congresswoman's office and confirmed her presence, that he realised that he couldn't just park there. It was too suspicious and noticeable. The sheriff made a U-turn and drove down the street to the closest place he knew to the office. From what he could remember about Michael's apartment there was a pretty good view from the corner window of the office. He could watch from there and would easily see if she left.   
  
The sheriff parked his cruiser in the side alley that was on the corner of Michael's building and climbed the stairs that led to his apartment. It was the slightly ajar door that made him pull out his revolver. As in a hurry to leave as Alex and Isabel were, he didn't think that they would leave the door open. Jim Valenti stepped silently up to the unguarded door, his gun held in front of him and in one quick movement moved around the door into the room, all his senses on full alert.  
  
Whatever he expected it wasn't what he found. There was no sign of anyone around. Not anymore. However whoever had been there had left their mark. The place looked like a hurricane had hit it. It was way beyond the usual almost neat somewhat sloppiness that Maria and Isabel allowed Michael's apartment to be. Almost everything was on the floor. The cushions were torn and there was broken glass lying everywhere. The sheriff picked his way carefully around the apartment careful not to disturb anything and trying to find out if anything was missing.  
  
Judging by the look of the apartment whoever had been there wasn't searching for something but instead seemed angry and wanted to destroy. Jim thanked God that none of the kids had been in the apartment when they had arrived. Considering the time frame it was obvious that Alex and Isabel had left in the nick of time. It was good thing Alex had packed away all the surveillance equipment they had been using. He would have hated for anyone to find that and even worse destroy it.   
  
Jim was standing at the edge of the room surveying the mess and contemplating phoning Michael to tell him about this new development when the decision was taking out of his hands. Out the window he saw the Congresswoman walking towards her car. She took determined even somewhat angry steps. All thoughts about contacting the kids flew out of his mind. Discovering the location of the missing ones was the most important thing. The apartment could wait.  
  
In a few short strides he was at the door and slamming it behind him Jim Valenti ran down the steps to his car. In one quick motion he reversed into the street and took off behind the congresswoman. He kept a respectable distance behind her, with always a few cars in between him and his prey to prevent detection. It was a short drive. She drove directly to the Grange, the motel on the outskirts of town.  
  
She got out of her car pretty quickly and slammed the door loudly behind her. Jim had to rush to park and follow ducking twice as she stalked to the entrance of the motel. He wasn't a mind reader but he had a pretty good idea why she was here.   
  
Jim walked into the motel as obtrusively as he could. He stood behind a huge pot plant and eavesdropped on the conversation Miss Whittaker had with the clerk. Part of him even managed to feel the some amusement at the clerk's I-don't-care-if-you're-the-president look and his demand for money before revealing any information. He even had to swallow a chuckle at the distaste on the congresswoman's face as she handed the man some money and waited expectantly for the information.  
  
"She checked out this morning at ten," the clerk said before turning around and ignoring her. The congresswoman must have realised the futileness of this endeavour and left the motel immediately. Jim ducked as she passed the plant he was hidden behind and followed her discreetly.   
  
This time she drove in the opposite direction to one of the outer suburbs. She pulled up in a secluded cul-de-sac where a huge house lay behind big iron-wrought gates. The sheriff immediately pulled the file he had on her to check if this was her address. He was pretty sure that where ever she held the kids it wouldn't be at her house. The address was listed at the bottom of the page and in a completely different area to the one he was parked in.  
  
For the first time since he heard the news of the kids disappearance there was a stirring of hope. He wasn't sure but he was almost positive that this was the site of their imprisonment.   
  
The sheriff picked up his radio and called the station,  
  
"Hey Mary, find out for me the owner of 152 Prescott Drive."  
  
"Sure thing Sheriff. Give me a minute."  
  
"Okay got it. Lets see… a Nicholas Warren."  
  
"Nicholas Warren? Okay thanks."  
  
"Do you need any more information Sheriff?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." The sheriff released the radio. Now it was time to call in reinforcements.  
  
***********  
  
"I found it," Alex yelled in triumph. Everyone crowded around the laptop and Alex where he was sitting beneath one of the glowing stones.  
  
"Look. Here it is. She has a brother. Nicholas. And even better, guess what Nicholas owns right here in Roswell," Alex asked the rhetorical question not expecting an answer. He continued, "A house. In Prescott Drive."  
  
"That must be it," Isabel said excitedly.  
  
Maria grabbed the laptop from Alex despite his, "Hey," and began typing while the others waited impatiently. A few minutes later an excited cry came from her. Alex immediately returned to his place and pushing her out the way stared at the screen to see what she had discovered. He smiled when he saw the information displayed on the flat monitor.   
  
"Learnt that at the FBI, Maria?" he queried.  
  
"Some. And some from you. And here you thought I never listened when you went on and on about computers," she answered with a return smile.  
  
"Do you two mind moving past the mutual pat-yourself-on-the-back society and tell us what you found already," Michael said impatiently. Immediately Alex and Maria reached towards each other and patted each on the back before turning identical smirks in Michael's directions. Then both their expressions sobered.  
  
"Turns out that this Nicholas who is only 15 years old by the way has been ordering a lot of lead and some major construction has been going on at no. 152 Prescott Drive," Maria said in a rush. It turns out no one needed their Maria filter to figure that out.   
  
"Wonder what he needs all that lead for?" Michael asked.   
  
"Don't you remember, Michael. Remember that time when we were practising near the Reservoir and our powers wouldn't work so well. Not even mine," Isabel replied.  
  
"The lead piping near by," Michael said.  
  
"Must have been. Probably why we can't reach them," Isabel said.  
  
Michael began packing all their stuff back in the backpacks and Isabel started extinguishing the lights. They left the cave a minute later. Before they could start the cars (they were taking both so all of them could return) Maria's phone rang.  
  
Michael and the Sheriff's conversation was short but when they hung up both of them had a smile on their face. And a sense of conviction and one of hope.   
  
End part 22 


	21. Chapter 23

Part Twenty Three  
  
Michael drove one car and Alex drove the other. Maria sat in the front seat. She took out her gun and much to the consternation of Michael opened up the gun revealing the bullets she had loaded early during the day for the file retrieval. Although he was seeing her do this for the second time, that slight feeling of disbelief and still remained. Part of him couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as he watched his, before she met him totally innocent and naïve, girlfriend handle a weapon with the mark of expertise.   
  
Following the sheriff's instructions the two cars pulled up in the street just before the cul-de-sac. Isabel changed hers and Alex's clothes to black and Michael did the same to his and Maria's. It was necessary to take all the precautions not to be seen. The four teens walked quickly to the end of the cul-de-sac that was Prescott Drive where a quiet whisper let them know where the sheriff was.  
  
The four friends joined the sheriff and crouched behind the huge tree that stood slightly to the side of the huge gates that blocked the entrance to the house that held there friends captive. A quick whispered conference began where everyone exchange information. The information that Maria and Alex had gathered merely confirmed the sheriff's suspicions and the congresswoman's presence made the other's positive that they had the right place.  
  
The sheriff handed Alex one of two walkie-talkies he had. "Okay, you and Maria wait out here and Michael, Isabel and I are going in," Jim said.  
  
"Uh no way. I'm going in with you," Maria put.  
  
"Maria you can't come in…" the sheriff was cut off before he could state his reasons.   
  
Maria suddenly remembered the sheriff wasn't aware of her training, "Sheriff, I think you are underestimating me," she began.  
  
"Maria you could get hurt."  
  
Maria didn't see any way to make her point clearly without going into a lot of detail. She did the one thing that would at least get his attention. She took out her gun. Even Michael laughed at the expression on the sheriff's face when he saw the weapon.  
  
"I know how to use it. Don't worry, sheriff. It's too long to go into right now but I am fully qualified to go into a situation like this," Maria said.  
  
The sheriff looked like he was about to argue with her when she looked him directly in the eyes and said, "Trust me, please."   
  
The sheriff glanced at Michael, and seeing his almost unnoticeable endorsement, nodded at Maria in agreement, albeit slightly grudgingly.  
  
"I'll explain everything later, I promise." And that would have to do for now.  
  
The sheriff took out a rifle from his trunk and loaded the bullets. He also pulled out his gun that lay in his holster and checked that before looking at Michael, Isabel and Maria. It was time to go. Alex stood behind the tree and watched as his friends left. Two of them armed and two of them not, their powers all there was to protect them. It was his job to wait, to bring the car around if they needed it in a hurry and to communicate with, via walkie-talkie. Alex wanted to go in with them but he recognised the danger that would present to both him and his friends that could be distracted by his presence.   
  
  
Inside the house four friends were about to storm, two couples sat terrified unaware of each others presence and unable to communicate with anyone. What made things worse for Tess, at the very least, is that she didn't know why she had lost the powers she had never been without since she was a little girl. Kyle was scared because he could see no way out of their situation without Tess's powers yet he was trying to be strong for the girl who seemed totally lost now that, despite a lessening in the exhaustive state she was in, still couldn't access her powers.  
  
Max wasn't scared or terrified. He was still unconscious and had been since their capture. He was wondering around in a mist like state while his body tried to heal the massive injuries that had been done to him. Through the mist he could hear a voice calling him. It was a sweet voice one that, although he didn't recognise at the moment, he knew he had to get to. So he moved towards her voice, closer and closer. Sometimes he could hear tears in her voice and a part of him felt extreme pain at that. He moved faster and ran to stop her tears.  
  
Liz had been sitting on the floor of her square prison for hours now, Max's head in her lap as she talked with him, pleaded with him to wake up. He hadn't moved since they had been thrown in the room but she hadn't given up yet. He would wake up that she knew, it was just a matter of when. Somewhere in her subconscious she could feel him getting closer and closer to her and that kept her going. It was a waiting game.  
  
Two doors down, the level of terror rose suddenly as the door that held them was flung open. Two huge burly guys walked in and yanked up the two teens who were sitting against the wall in the corner of the room. Whatever they had been brought here for was about to happen. The couple refuse to let go of each others hand despite their captors attempt to separate them. Holding them in a tight grip the two kids were led out the room they had been sitting for hours into a long corridor. Tess immediately tried to contact max and had no success. She attempted Isabel next, holding on tightly to Kyle's hand for support, and for the first time in a long time she felt a connection go through. It wasn't a strong connection (they were surrounded by lead) but it got through.   
  
  
Isabel, Michael, Maria and the sheriff were at the gate deciding the best way to enter when Isabel gave a soft cry. The soft faint voice of her friend in her head was the first sign of their friends still being alive they had received. Immediately all the pressure that Isabel had been holding inside her was relieved. She let Tess know about Max and Liz and told her to hold on.   
  
On the other side Tess exchanged a look with Kyle. Without saying a word reading the new light in her eyes Kyle knew that Tess had succeeded. It was a short conversation that was hard to hold on to because of the lead surrounding the area but contact had been made and that was all they needed to hold on to.  
  
As they neared the end of the corridor Kyle and Tess heard loud voices yelling. The closer the two got, the clearer the voices became. A woman's voice was yelling about some files that had disappeared, files that were needed, that were essential for the next phase. An agent had disappeared with the files and due to some incompetence on the part of the idiots whose job it was to retrieve such information they, both the files and the agent were still missing.  
  
Another quick look over the two guards was exchanged and even a small grin could be seen on Kyle's face as he and Tess recognised the success of the mission that had started this whole process. The two teens were now at the end of the corridor. They were thrown into a room. This room had a table and three chairs in it. Like the square room that they had just left, it was painted entirely in white.   
  
The only difference there was between this room and the other one was that one side of the room was covered in a huge mirror. It didn't take a genius to realise, much less the son of a cop and his girlfriend, that it was a two way mirror. The two of them stared at their reflections in the mirror, ignoring the state that they looked, covered in bruises that were darkening and the torn and dirty clothes. Their aim was to show whoever it was on the other side of that mirror the look of pure defiance and the one that showed that whatever happened they were not about to give in.  
  
Tess leaned over and in Kyle's ear whispered the things she had learned from Isabel. She told Kyle to be ready. And he was. But before they could deal with a rescue they had to deal with an interrogation. He hoped as did she that there rescue would come before anything really bad happened. And he wondered about Max and Liz and prayed that they were okay.  
  
The door opened and in it walked the congresswoman. Both Kyle and Tess kept there expressions carefully blank, careful not to give a way anything that would reveal their knowledge of her involvement. She didn't say anything at first and just stood there staring at them. It was a contest to see who would last the longest. Kyle and Tess were determined not to lose.   
  
It would have went on forever but enough time had already been wasted with the disappearance of the files. The congresswoman was furious. All her plans had been disrupted. The files were missing. Four subjects had somehow eluded capture and seemed to have completely disappeared despite various parties searching for them. Subject 1 was still unconscious and Kivar was arriving in a couple of hours expecting results that she couldn't provide. To make matters worse Nicholas had thrown 4 tantrums already and no doubt was going to throw a few more. Apparently the age of the body he now inhabited was affecting him since he was behaving more like a teenager than the second in command of one of the galaxies largest and most powerful armies. Like she didn't have enough to deal with.   
  
And now to top it all of she had to deal with an interrogation that she just knew was going to go badly judging by the looks in these two's eyes. Plus they were the only subjects that could be interrogated and quite frankly they were at the bottom of the list. She was having an extremely bad day which was just about to get worse.   
  
She didn't know how right she was.   
  
End Part 23 


	22. Chapter 24

Part Twenty Four  
  
The four rescuers didn't waste time. The plan was simple – get in and get out. No deviations. It started with Michael unlocking the front gate so that they could enter and Isabel making sure that cameras at the gate didn't show them on screen. Both tasks were relatively simple.  
  
Once they were within the grounds of the house the four of them split up to increase their chances of escape and recovery. Isabel went with the sheriff and Maria and stuck with Michael. It was a perfect arrangement to cover all possibilities – one alien and one human.   
  
The two groups went in opposite directions. Before they left the cave Alex had printed a copy of the blueprints to help give them an idea of where all entrances and escape routes were in the house. Getting in wouldn't be a problem but the lead inside would definitely cause difficulties. That's what the guns were for. The strategy was a very basic one. They knew that the two couple were being held separately. Each rescue team would try and get one couple and leave the premises immediately unless contacted and told otherwise. They had decided that this was the best plan to prevent any more captures and increase their chances of success. If there was any changes they were to contact Alex and inform him.  
  
There were four entrances to the house. Three of them were accessible on the ground floor while the fourth was on the second floor and opened out onto a balcony. All five of them had memorised all the entrances in case of any emergency. Michael and Maria were to take the back entrance while Isabel and the sheriff went via the side door.   
  
Isabel and the sheriff reached their destination first and a quick touch of the lock by Isabel had the door unlocked. The four aliens had spent a lot time this past summer practising their powers and all of them had improved tremendously both in speed and the ability to do things they were not previously able to do. On that list unlocking a door, no matter how complicated the lock was, was an easy task for any of them.  
  
The side door led into a long corridor. There was no one in sight but the two of them didn't linger long in the open to prevent being seen. There were a number of doors along the way. Most of them were closed. The sheriff immediately eliminated all the ones that were open as a possible holding cell for the missing teens but before they checked any of the closed rooms they needed to get out of sight. The two walked up to the first opened door and Isabel sneaked a look around a hand held in front of her ready to discharge power if necessary. They were lucky and the room was empty. Quickly they moved in and stopped to regroup and plan the search.   
  
On the other side of the house, two teens stood outside the back door listening for any sounds that would indicate someone in the kitchen, as the blueprints suggested. There was silence and Michael turned the lock cautiously while Maria held her gun arm extended. She had placed a silencer on her gun at the last second to reduce any unnecessary sounds that would remove their surprise element if they had to shoot someone. Moving silently through the kitchen their backs to each other, Michael and Maria kept their eyes roving for anything unusual. It was their complete and utter faith in each other that gave their actions a confidence and sureness. Their first priority was to protect each other and the second to rescue their friends. Both were equally important to them.   
  
~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~.  
  
Liz tried to control her outer expression and keep the excitement from showing in her face. She bent her head over Max's her hair swinging past her shoulders to cover their faces. His eyes were still flickering slightly. She just knew he was seconds away from opening them. Liz had felt him returning to consciousness for a while now and she was determined to prevent their captors from finding this out. It was their only chance to escape. Softly she whispered for him not to move. Max squeezed her hand slightly in acquiescence. His body was still weak and it was difficult for him to move anyway.   
  
He opened his eyes a slit to find Liz's face directly above him. He could feel the soft silky strands of her hair on his cheek. She smiled at him, relief highly apparent on her face. Max attempted to smile back but it hurt too much. She smoothed his forehead with her free hand. It was wet with perspiration showing all the trauma his body had been through. Reading the questions in his eyes and knowing with that silent communication they had always shared that he couldn't talk right now Liz quietly explained all she knew of the situation. His eyes began to shadow over as Max did what came naturally to him. He worried. Being the leader always made it that he felt things deeper than the others and a loss of control was the thing he feared most in the world.  
  
Liz comforted him as best as she could but it was hard since she was scared as well. They didn't know what had happened to any of the others, no chance to warn them or find out what had happened to Michael and Maria on the mission. Max closed his eyes again fighting for control over the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Slowly his eyelashes flickered again as Liz watched him open them again. This time her face held all the worry she felt for him, the situation and her friends. Max's eyes showed strength this time. Seeing that, Liz felt her courage return. Whatever happened they were together and that's what mattered.   
  
The two of them held their position. If they were going to attempt an escape there were two reasons for Max not to move. The first one was simple and a little problem – he didn't have the strength to move. The second one was more complicated. Moving would alert whoever was watching them of his return to consciousness and Max agreed with Liz that they needed an element of surprise if they were to have any chance to escape. They couldn't rely on the fact that a rescue was already underway not knowing the whereabouts of any their friends. Luckily for both of them, their plan was unneeded because it didn't stand much chance of success with the condition Max was in. Rescue was only a door away where the sheriff and Isabel were about to leave to search.  
  
**************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******************.  
  
Kyle and Tess were not as lucky as Max and Liz if you discount Max only recent return to consciousness. While they were not strapped to a bed like Max was during his incarceration by the FBI, they were in a lot of pain. For Kyle the pain was physical and for Tess it was emotional, watching him fall to knees collapsing despite her attempts to hold him up.   
  
The missing files had held the congresswoman back long enough. She was prepared to interrogate without the advantage the files would have brought her. And so she did. A blind fool could see the affection the humans shared with their alien friends and she had been in town long enough to observe that. Well versed in the art of interrogation with a whole war behind her as training she knew what to use to get them to talk to her.   
  
Her anger of all that had gone wrong was against Kyle and Tess right now and so was the pressure the woman was under. She was in a hurry for the information and they were the only two that could provide it thanks to the incompetent fools that had injured the king.   
  
Vanessa Whittaker had started slowly to give them a chance to give up despite her doubts that that would occur. But things had progressed real fast after that. The lead surrounding the room prevented Tess from using her powers but it didn't seem to inhibit the congresswoman at all. She may have been the first alien that they had encountered besides themselves but her powers demonstrated her other worldliness. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was evil – one of the bad guys Max's and Isabel's mother had been warning them about and a real powerful one, seeing as her abilities were way beyond any of theirs.  
  
The thing about it, even though that Tess knew that a rescue was already underway and she only had to be strong for a little while longer, she would have given in just to prevent Kyle from being hurt a second longer. Even with Kyle insisting that she not say a word Tess would have at that moment in time revealed all to the woman that was squeezing Kyle's heart slowly and excruciatingly with her powers from across the room.   
  
Kyle couldn't breathe. He could feel himself dying. It was a feeling he recognised after being shot once. He looked up into the blues eyes of the person that made this all worthwhile as she grabbed his arms before he dropped to his knees. She was strong but not strong enough to hold up his dead weight. He knew she wanted to talk and he implored her with his eyes to hold on and be strong.   
  
Kyle's eyes began to close slowly as he started to lose consciousness and for the third time since the interrogation began the congresswoman brought him back just to begin the torture all over again. Tess was prepared to do just about anything to stop it, the watching him die right before her eyes over and over again, except for one thing. She didn't know what the woman was talking about. Tess had never heard of the granolith before. Not from Nacedo or any of the other aliens. It was ironic that just as she was going to talk she didn't actually have any information to share.   
  
The congresswoman was still going strong. They had been at this for a while now. She knew many that given up at the first sensation of dying yet for some reason these two seemed stronger. Even so, she could tell from the tears that were falling down Subject 8's face, that they were about to give in, but for some reason that had not happened yet. Part of her was actually beginning to believe that they knew nothing. She didn't stop. Vanessa Whittaker had at some point in her long career begun to enjoy watching and even better causing pain in others. The pleasure she received from the tears in her victims was worth a lot in her book and these two deserved it, the way she saw it. They were responsible for her having a really bad day and a little torture did improve the day so much.   
  
````````````````*************`````````````````.  
Up till now things on the rescue front had been going really well. They were undiscovered and had gained entry to the house. All that was about to change.   
  
End Part 24 


	23. Chapter 25

Part Twenty Five  
  
Maria and Michael moved silently through the kitchen into the dining room. There were two exits to the room. Michael covered one and Maria the other. It happened suddenly. A man walked into the room. He caught sight of Michael immediately and opened his mouth to yell for help while simultaneously taking out his weapon and pointing it at Michael. Michael in turn raised his hand in defence but before either did anything, Maria hit the man on the head from behind with her gun. He collapsed to the ground without a sound and the two teens moved him underneath the table dragging his body so he wouldn't be seen. They then left the dining room without discovery.  
  
Isabel and the sheriff were not as lucky. They had begun their search into the various closed rooms that lay of the corridor. The first room was empty. It was obviously a holding cell and covered in lead as Isabel discovered. However in the second room Isabel, upon unlocking the door and looking into the room, they found Max and Liz.  
  
When the door opened, Liz and Max both didn't move until Liz heard Isabel's voice. She looked up quickly and a smile of pure relief passed on her face when she saw the sheriff directly behind Isabel carrying a rifle. They were being rescued.  
  
Isabel rushed to Liz's side and helped her lift up Max. Putting an arm around both Isabel and Liz, Max hobbled to his feet while the sheriff stood guard. That was when all hell broke loose. Whoever it was that had been watching, a fact forgotten for a second by Liz and Max, must have seen the intruders and a loud alarm began to blare. Moving quickly the four of them ran into the passage. Liz and Isabel practically dragging Max along and the sheriff covering them from the guards that had in seconds appeared.   
  
They were only a few metres away from the side door but with the sheer number of guards that had appeared it didn't look like they were going to make. The sheriff began shooting and when he ran out of bullets pulled out his second gun. It didn't appear to help much. Whatever the guards were, most of them were not human. Shooting them didn't appear to kill them only slow them down. Isabel took front and the sheriff grabbed Max while Isabel put up a forceshield to protect them from the laser weapons and bursts of power that was shooting their way. It didn't hold long. The lead in the area interfered too much with the strength and length of the forceshield and it began to collapse. It looked like it was all over for them when Michael and Maria appeared in the other end of the corridor. Michael took out the immediate threats to their four friends with his energy blast and Maria shot the other ones long enough to slow them down, giving the others just enough time to escape and draw away the fire from them.   
  
Outside, Isabel contacted Alex through her mind calling him. He started the car and backed up far enough to gain some speed before racing towards the gates that they had unlocked earlier. Knocking them down Alex drove up the driveway pulling up directly next to the side door just as the four of them tumbled out. Practically throwing Max into the car, the sheriff, Liz and Isabel all jumped in, the car moving almost before they were all in and driving out.  
  
`````````````************````````````````.  
Inside the interrogation room, the congresswoman left as soon as the alarm blasted to find out what was going on and give orders. Tess and Kyle stood up in a state of readiness for whatever would happen and waited for their rescuers to arrive, praying silently for their safety.   
  
Michael and Maria turned around and ran to the end of the corridor when the side door shut behind their fleeing friends and into the first room they saw. The room had a huge glass wall through which they saw their friends. Knowing they didn't have much time before the bad guys came through the door, they didn't bother going into the next room. Instead Maria reloaded her gun and pointed directly at the glass.  
  
She shot the glass twice, cracking it. The sound of the shots were buried under the blaring alarm and noises from the corridor. With a well aimed kick, Michael sent the glass flying. On the other side, Kyle and Tess moved away from the mirror the second they saw it crack. They just missed being hit by flying glass as the mirror shattered. Michael helped them both through after clearing away any glass still left. The second she got through Tess ran up to Michael and Maria still holding Kyle and gave them a quick hug. They didn't have any time for anything else because just that second the congresswoman entered the room.  
  
"Let me handle this, guys," Tess said to the other three, "I owe her,"  
  
"Oh, please little girl. You don't have enough power to swat a fly. I am way more advanced than any of you. Just ask your precious Nacedo. Or shall I say don't," the congresswoman taunted them.  
  
"Nacedo. What have you done to him," Michael demanded.  
  
"You actually thought that little charade he was playing was going to work forever. Please. I took care of him this morning. He wasn't much of a fight. And you think that you can beat me."  
  
Tess felt her all the anger that was there when Kyle was dying come immediately back to the surface. She ignored the pain of losing the only father figure she had and not saying another word, access to powers restored now that she was out the lead enclosed room, she sent a large energy blast at the person that caused them so much pain.  
  
It caught the woman by surprise. She hadn't expected Tess to have any powers yet. The blast however, while putting her a little off balance, didn't really hurt her. She immediately sent one back to Tess.   
  
Michael moved to intercept the blast but Kyle grabbed his arm, "She needs to this. Let her try at least." Seeing Michael's disagreement he added, "You can interfere if it gets to bad okay." Michael nodded.  
  
Tess flung up her forcefield with one hand and with the other sent a larger energy blast to the congresswoman, followed immediately by another, even bigger. She kept up the attack powered only by her anger for a few minutes while the others watched ready to interfere if necessary. Maria blocked the door to prevent any one else from coming in.  
  
There didn't seem to be any weakening from either side at first but slowly the congresswoman's forcefield began to diminish. A minute later she collapsed to the ground. The others watched as she took her last breathe before her body began to disintegrate until all that was left was a pile of dust.   
  
"That's for Kyle. And Nacedo," Tess said looking down at the ashes that was all that remained of the evil alien.   
  
"Time to go now," Maria announced.  
  
Tess walked back to Kyle and slipped one arm around his waist to support him while Maria and Michael took positions to cover them. The plan was to run the small part of the corridor, cut across the dining hall, through the kitchen and out the back door. The same way they came in. It was also the only way that had a chance of success since most of the corridor and the other exits were blocked by guards.   
  
Michael without leaving the room used his hand to release a power blast into the corridor. He and Maria then left the room and shooting both bullets and power at the aliens in the hall, covering Kyle and Tess until the dining hall doorway was upon them. Maria entered first and cleared the area of the only one guard that stood there, followed by Kyle and Tess, and Michael covering the rear.   
  
It was a short run into the kitchen but there they had problems. Michael and Maria stood in the centre of the kitchen shooting anything that came in via the various entrances while Tess and Kyle moved towards the door.  
Tess opened the door and turned around to wait for Michael and Maria.  
  
"Run. We'll follow," Maria yelled over the loud noises.  
  
Tess listened to the order in her voice and with Kyle moved out, right into the car waiting for them.  
  
Alex after driving out the driveway of the mansion with the first load of passengers, switched cars and drove back in to get the rest of them. The sheriff handed him the rifle to give to Kyle and warned him to be careful. It was Tess who contacted Alex this time on Michael's instructions, and the reason why Alex was right outside the back door. He held the car in gear ready to move the minute his friends were in or any bad guys appeared. When Tess and Kyle got in, Alex gave Kyle the rifle.  
  
"Where's Maria and Michael?" Alex asked when no one else ran out.  
  
"They were right behind us," Kyle said.  
  
Reversing Alex waited for the last two of their friends while Kyle held the rifle out the window to cover his friends. They didn't appear. Minutes passed and still there was no sign of them. Alex, Tess and Kyle began to panic. They couldn't lose Michael and Maria not after everything. Further away Isabel sitting in the driver's seat with an injured Max and Liz in the back seat worried when no one came out of the driveway. Everything was going horribly wrong.  
  
Just as Alex was deciding whether to go into the house and find out why Maria and Michael were not coming out, Michael and Maria were running up the back stairs that led off the kitchen. After Kyle and Tess got out the back door, the kitchen filled with evil aliens. They blocked the door preventing the teens from escaping. Michael sent a burst of energy that way to blow up everything in the area making sure that none of the bad guys followed Kyle and Tess out, thereby blocking their way as well. Covering him, Maria cleared the route to the only other way out the kitchen that wasn't surrounded by bad guys, and the two ran up the stairs, blowing the staircase up behind them.  
  
Taking the steps two at a time, the two of them reached the landing within seconds. Without pausing they ran into the first room they saw with French sliding doors that led to the balcony. Maria locked the door behind them and Michael moved a huge chest of drawers in front of the door using a little of his alien strength. On the balcony the two moved to the end right next to a huge oak tree. Climbing over the ledge they prepared to jump.  
  
"You go first," Maria said tentatively.  
  
"Maria?"  
  
"I just realised that I am not too fond of heights."  
  
"Might have mentioned that before"  
  
"Never came up"  
  
"Got a point."  
  
"I'm scared Michael."  
  
"Don't be. I'm right here. How about we go together?"  
  
"Okay," Maria replied in a soft tone.   
  
Michael leaned over and kissed her lightly before, "On three. One. Two. Three."  
  
The two of them jumped just as the door to the bedroom crashed down. Barely catching on to top branches Michael pulled himself on to a surer footing and then reaching his hand down helped Maria. The two ducked behind some thick branches, their dark clothing hiding them in the night, as two guards raced onto the balcony, hoping to avoid being seen. They got lucky. Whoever the guards were, it was obvious that they were mere might and not much brains. When the guards returned to the room and began tearing the place upside down, Michael and Maria started to climb down.   
  
Maria forgot her fear in the rush to get out of there and they were on the ground in seconds just as the car came racing around the corner chased by aliens. Alex spotted Michael and Maria as they reached the ground. He stopped suddenly catching Kyle and Tess by surprise.   
"There they are. Let's go get them."  
Kyle continued shooting behind, occasionally reloading his weapon and covering them with his fire. He was losing. Tess was totally out of energy after the fight with the congresswoman and couldn't help much.  
  
Maria saw Alex stop and the bad guys chasing them.   
  
"Go. Go now," she yelled.  
  
"Not without you," Tess yelled back while Alex was forced to move to evade the shooting from behind and while Kyle was busy returning fire.  
  
"We're follow you. Go now." Michael added, also yelling.  
  
"That's what you said last time," Kyle screamed back.  
  
"Please. We're going to get the jeep," Maria pleaded watching as the bad guys caught up to their friends. They were too far away even running they couldn't get to them in time.  
  
"We'll be fine. Go now," Michael shouted.   
  
And for the second time that night, their friends were forced to leave. Michael and Maria were swallowed up into the shadows as they disappeared leaving their friends with no choice but to drive out. Seconds later, the place where the car had just been, blew up.  
  
Michael and Maria ran around the side. They had seen Max and Isabel's jeep parked there when they had come into the house. Now they jumped in, Maria in the drivers seat. Michael leaned over and started the car. And Maria pulled out, driving around the house, while Michael threw energy blasts at the windows. Making a fast U-turn, wheels spinning Maria raced out the driveway, heat chasing them.  
  
Outside 7 people hearts sank when a loud explosion was heard. Their blood pressure returned to normal when seconds later a jeep came dashing out past broken gates. There was visible signs of relief and loud sighs when the group spotted Michael and Maria.  
  
Their cars, already in gear they took of behind the jeep and the four cars drove of into the night. Alex driving the one car, Isabel the other and the sheriff in the third. The four vehicles disappeared into the desert. Back to the cave. Back to sanctuary.  
  
End Part 25 


	24. Chapter 26

Part Twenty Six  
  
It was a battered and bruised nine war-weary people that arrived at the cave. Everyone entered immediately except for the sheriff. He instead quickly got his arm healed by Isabel, the only alien with enough strength left to complete the process. There was no sign of the laser bullet hole on his arm where he had been shot during the run to the car.   
  
Much as the sheriff would have liked to clear up some of the inconsistencies and stay with his injured son, it was more important right now to deal with the consequences. The one good thing about bad aliens is that left no bodies as evidence only dust. It made life easier when trying to explain away an exploded house when there were no dead bodies inside to identify.  
  
Inside the cave, 8 teens moved slowly, tiredness and hurt evident in their every movement. They sat Max and Kyle down in the one corner, significant others collapsing next them. Isabel walked around and lit the stones and Alex pulled out food and water.  
  
Michael and Maria walked up to where their injured friends lay. Liz immediately stood up and threw herself in Maria's arms. Maria returned the hug tightly.   
  
"I was so scared, Ria," Liz whispered. "He wouldn't wake up and I was all alone."  
  
"Its okay, chica. We're all fine. He's going to be fine."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Of course," Maria answered.  
  
Liz released Maria and went up to Michael and hugged him.  
  
"Thank you for coming for us."  
  
Michael looked embarrassed, "We're always going to come and get you. You're safe now, Liz," he said slightly awkwardly.   
  
Michael knelt down besides his best friend, "Maxwell."  
  
Max opened his eyes slowly and mouthed the words "Thank You," to his friend before closing them again. Liz sat back down and lightly lifted Max's head and placed it in her lap. He immediately relaxed and fell into a light healing sleep.   
  
Liz had done a lot of thinking, stuck in that white prison and she had come to one realisation. While not startling to others it was a surprise to her since she had spent months convincing herself that distance would eventually have an effect. It turned out despite her current relationship with Max, her feelings towards him would never change. And more importantly she realised, that distance didn't make it hurt any less if anything ever happened to him. This time she was holding on tight and not letting go for any reason no matter how earth shattering.  
  
```````````***********```````````.  
Nearby Kyle and Tess lay on the sleeping bags Isabel and Alex had laid out earlier. They were not sleeping. Kyle was not speaking because it hurt too much and Tess didn't have any energy to form words. They watched each other and the others. Both smiled when they saw Liz and Max essentially get back together. It was much better when the two were together. They stopped being so moody and depressed , well Max at least. Liz buried herself in work and tried to avoid everyone during the separation.   
  
Of course no one was as bad as Michael and Maria apart. Michael snapped at everyone and went all obsessive over Czechoslovakian stuff and Maria got hyper and pretended nothing was wrong. It was too exhausting on everyone else, especially since Maria kept dragging them into new schemes which inevitably went wrong. Kyle and Tess turned their attention to the two in their thoughts, unspoken communication already becoming part of their relationship, fast forwarded by the situation and the secret.  
  
It wasn't hard to tell if they were back together. Michael and Maria always had a link bonding them. It was as tangible as the looks Max and Liz were forever exchanging. It was stronger now. You could see it even with them separate. Michael was helping Alex draw a circle with 7 links in the centre of the cave while Maria and Isabel were transporting the healing stones from the back of the cave where it was hidden.  
  
Isabel and Maria dropped the stones in the centre of the circle drawn and walked towards Tess and Kyle. Isabel placed an arm around Tess and Maria helped Kyle up and walked with them to their places on the circle. Kyle had never been involved in a group healing before and Isabel explained it to him while Maria went to help Liz with Max. They woke him up and together tried to lift him. It wasn't easy. He had even less strength than during the escape and was a complete dead weight. Before Liz, Maria and Max could fall down Michael catching sight of the precarious threesome rushed over, Alex right behind him. The two guys caught them before they tumbled over and took over transporting Max to the centre and gently laid him down right in the centre.   
  
Liz's face took on a resolute expression. She remembered the last time they had tried this and how she had backed out. She wasn't going to that this time. She sat down next to Kyle, Tess on his other side. Maria sat down next to her and Michael on her right. Isabel and Alex completed the circle after Isabel took the stones and handed them out to each person. Everyone concentrated.  
  
The bond between the 8 of them was at its strongest. They relied completely on each other for almost everything. It was the reason why the it didn't take long, despite the poor condition they were all in, for the healing stones to begin to glow, floating slightly in the air. A blue light emitted from each stone, the light rising up to meet in the centre. It went unnoticed by the seven friends on the circumference and their injured friend in the middle. Their eyes were all shut, concentrating on healing. All of them were aware of the dangers involved in such a healing but no one questioned it. Or its necessity.   
  
Time had no meaning but it seemed everyone opened their eyes at the same time. In front of them, a blue glow arising from 7 sides led to the centre and encircled Max in its light. Max did not retreat to a place of hallucinations and visions as Michael did during his healing but instead felt energy flowing into him replacing the one he lost. He felt love and trust surrounding him. He felt Liz. He felt Michael and Isabel, Maria, Alex, Kyle and Tess. He felt the bonds between everyone and he felt the links and love holding them together. He healed. And around him Kyle and Tess healed. Bruises and cuts magically disappeared and weariness left them as energy combined and grew.  
  
The stones stopped glowing and dropped to the ground in front of everyone. No one moved for a second, staring at Max in front of them unmoving, waiting to see if it worked. Max opened his eyes and sat up. In less than a second Liz was at his side holding him tight. Isabel came in from her side grabbing him as well and Maria joined them, glad to see one of her best friends smile again. Tess a little less exuberantly also hugged him, after looking at Liz for permission first. It wasn't necessary – Liz assured her with a look.   
  
The guys stood back waiting. Max stood up and one hand still in Liz's turned to face them. Alex stepped forward and shook Max's hand. Kyle followed suit, exchanging a look of understanding with Max. Michael went last. He and Max looked at each other for a long moment. Liz stood back to give them this space they needed. Isabel held onto Alex and watched her brothers, a smile on her face. Michael held out a hand to Max but Max didn't take it. Instead he pulled his best friend and brother into a hug. A manly hug of course but still a hug. Michael held him tightly for a second, conveying his relief before they both released and stood back both looking slightly embarrassed. Without even realising it their hands both reached for their other halves. Maria took Michael's hand and opposite her Liz did the same for Max. Isabel smiled at them, noting their reactions. She exchanged amused glances with Alex, Kyle and Tess all of whom observed what occurred.   
  
It was all over. Smiles were exchanged before the 8 teens sat down and began a picnic with the food Alex and Isabel had brought. The sheriff phoned and them the "okay " to the relief of all. No foul play suspected – just an electrical fire out of control. He had even managed to retrieve Kyle's car undamaged because it was outside during the explosion. Everyone was visibly relieved particularly Michael whose past experience with cops had not been good ones.  
  
It was a long night for the friends. A night of truths – a carthagic night. They all talked. Secrets, fears, torture. All was revealed. Tears were shed and comfort exchanged. Nacedo's death was mourned by those present, even if some of the mourning was more for Tess and their pasts still unrevealed. Max spoke for the first time of his nightmare in Pierce's hands and Michael however reluctantly, holding Maria's hand tightly unveiled his life and fears. Hours later, 4 couples fell of to sleep in each other's arms after watching the sunrise together.  
  
The next day, late night aside, kidnapping and rescues aside, 8 teens awoke and got ready for school. Life went back to normal. Enemies may come and go but parents and school were still necessary. Tests still had to be written and homework handed in. And after school life appeared to have returned to normal as well. Maria and Michael were still working at the Crashdown. The congresswoman's 'disappearance' put Liz out of a job as an intern and she returned to the Crashdown, her parent's cafe.   
  
The sheriff insisted that Tess move in with them with Nacedo dead. All of them helped her move. She took Kyle's room but it was noted by all that he didn't seem to mind much. His father sat them both down and gave them a long talk about appropriate behaviour in the house basically translating into NO SEX , embarrassing for Kyle although Tess seemed to appreciate receiving it, Nacedo not big on talks.  
  
Normal may have returned but there were differences. The 8 spent all their time together. Max and Liz were back to being joined at the hip exchanging nauseating looks to the dismay of any and all observers. Kyle and Tess were the same and Isabel seemed much more reliant on Alex. In the case of Michael and Maria, it was more of Michael refusing to let Maria out of his sight. He claimed he was preventing her from getting into trouble and Maria said she was just making sure he didn't do anything stupid. They didn't fool anyone especially when they were caught making out in the breakroom, their mouths fused together.   
  
The couples back together was not the only differences they exhibited. The differences were subtle but there. Everyone remained in large groups, preferring to remain near Michael and Maria who they felt safest with. The aliens began training more and all the humans and aliens started a regime with Maria including self defence. Every morning they ran 10 miles. The sheriff and Kyle helped Maria teach all of them how to shoot. They practised in the desert in isolation. Max took his leadership more seriously and they began acting as a team, realising the strength they held together was stronger than anything they had apart. The mission and rescue proving that to them.  
  
In addition, all of them were more alert. Isabel ran mind patrols regularly and anything slightly unusual resulted in a meeting. They had been caught unaware once. It wouldn't happen again. The irony of it all was that the more paranoid everyone became the less paranoid Michael was. He smiled more and suggested to the shock of all his friends fun stuff all the time. They decided Maria was a bad influence on him but it helped them relax slightly.   
  
Life went on after all. They had each other and that was all that they needed. For life. For destiny. Forever.   
  
The end.  
  
  
  
  
A/N  
  
I wanted to thank everyone that gave me feedback on this fic. I did appreciate it. There is a sequel called the War. I know that not many pepple were reading this on ffn, but if those that were would like me to post the sequel, please let me know.  
  
`Domino 


End file.
